Rubber Traits
by SoldierG65434-2
Summary: /Follow-up to "Song of the Sad Assassin"/ Yoruichi goes to visit her former pupil after the War and gets a suprise; she's changed.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

This is the YoruSoi follow-up to "Song of the Sad Assassin." Please read that first before reading this story.

The title is taken from the Why? song "Rubber Traits" off of the album "Elephant Eyelash." I suggest you listen to it, as it served as my primary inspiration for this work.

This took much longer than I anticipated, but I feel satisfied with the way I'm going about this story now. Everything before felt rushed before. I'm taking things much slower now. There will be more time between updates, but the updates will be far more substantial.

I would like to thank everyone that supported this fic previously and I hope to enjoy your support again

* * *

Idleness is a fickle thing. A person can spend the entirety of their life working towards the day when they can cease their toils, yet when that day comes, the first thing they will do is search for something to alleviate the boredom.

That is where Yoruichi currently found herself; languishing in the doldrums of peace. It wasn't that she reviled in death and destruction, far from it. She had abstained from combat from combat for one hundred years for a reason. However, little was left for her or any of the others residing in Urahara Shoten to do. Even though the war with Aizen was over, the Shinigamai had stepped up their presence is Karakura, hoping to prevent another similar fiasco. Any Hollows or Arrancar that were drawn to the town's unique spiritual topography were quickly eliminated.

Yoruichi sighed and continued to look up at the ceiling above her bed. The room around her was a mess, with the trinkets and souvenirs of her travels through both worlds scattered all about the place. Urahara was thoroughly absorbed in some "groundbreaking" new invention, Ichigo and all his friends were back in school, living like they were supposed to and Urahara's mod sols were now under the Shinigami's employ. All she could do was sit and wait for something to happen.

_Just like when I first got here_, she thought disappointedly.

_No, not quite_. Dragging herself off the bed, she clothed herself in her usual attire and headed towards Urahara's lab. Pushing the bookcase that concealed the entrance to his workshop aside, she poked her head through the threshold.

"Kisuke!" She shouted into the poorly lit room. A loud crash was head, followed by cursing and steps. Out of the darkness came a dirty and exhausted looking Urahara.

"Would it kill you to nock?" He asked, somewhat perturbed.

"Maybe," Yoruichi joked, offsetting her friend's mood. "I need you to open the Senkaimon."

"Okay, just give me a minute." Urahara opened up the trap door to the underground training area and the two descended. Yoruichi waited somewhat impatiently as Urahara prepared the gate. "This would go faster if you would help." Yoruichi didn't move from the rick she was sitting on.

"What's got you panties in a bunch?" Yoruichi asked her irritable friend.

"Nothing is going right with my work." Urahara didn't turn around as he continued preparing the gate.

"Mabey you could think clearer if you sleep some." Yoruichi hopped up as the gate between ralms opened. "And maybe things would go smoother if you would tell me what you working on so I could help."

"And ruined the surprise? It would be a disservice to you." Urahara joked for the first time this morning. Yoruichi steeped into the gate.

"I'll see you in a while." Yoruichi waved.

"Try not to cause a ruckus." Urahara saw Yoruichi off and quickly returned to his work.

* * *

Soifon stood on a balcony overlooking the central training area of the Second Division and Onmitsukido barracks. Gathered in the large court yard were all the current members of the two organizations and all those who hoped to join them. The seated officers were running the new recruits through basic exercises while the veterans sparred.

The war with Aizen had been devastating for all of the divisions, but while most had retreated to lick their wounds, Soifon was pushing her men harder then she had ever before. Nation-states were most vulnerable in the times directly after major conflicts. Citizens are no longer vigilant, as they are too busy celebrating the victory and the armed forces coffers are depleted and the men exhausted.

Aizen's betrayal had shown her that conspirators could strike even in the height of power. The Second Division's and Onmitsukido's job was to preserve the hard one peace that the all now enjoyed, and Soifon was going to make sure that they were up for the task.

Next to her was her lieutenant, Omeada, currently indulging himself in his favorite crackers. In the past, she would have sent him away to do remedial work just to remove him and his incessant eating from her presence, but in the five months since her 'breakdown,' a healthy professional relationship had grown between them. She still would never consider the man a friend, but she no longer thought of him as an incompetent oaf and trusted him with more of responsibilities of running the two units.

"Omeada, what do you think." She said without looking at him.

"About what, Taicho?" He asked through a mouthful of crackers.

"About what you see." Omeada could not see her roll her eyes. He looked out and saw many of the new recruits collapsing from exhaustion or injuries.

"I think you may be pushing the new recruits too hard, Taicho." In the past, he wouldn't have dared to voice his own opinion, especially if it was in opposition to hers, but he now felt comfortable in doing so. "If you keep up this pace, most will either drop out or die."

"My job to sharpen blades, not forage them." She responded, still not looking at him. She was far less than pleased with the new blood entering her units. They young and naïve; attracted to service by romanticized stories of battle and glory. They were here for personal gain, not for the Gotei 13. "If they cannot handle such basic training, then they would not survive here anyway." It was a classic Soifon statement, but it didn't drip with the same contemptuous venom that it would have before the war.

Omeada decided not to push the matter further and removed another cracker from the bag.

* * *

Yoruichi touched down on the stone floor of the entrance to the Second Division barracks. It was more a show of respect than anything. She could have just as easily snuck in without anyone knowing. The two guards outside the gate acknowledged her presence and opened the gate. Even though the charges against her had never been officially dropped, they knew better than to impede her entrance. Anyone else would have been required to state their business, but most already knew why she was here.

The last time she had see Soifon was five months ago, at the end of the war. She was despondent then, probably still in shock from her injures. She was only able to speak to her briefly before she was carted away by the Fourth Division and she wasn't present at any of the victory celebrations. Yoruichi was worried about her. She knew that the loss of her arm was going to be hard on her and, consequently, she was going to be hard on herself. Mentally, she berated herself for not going to see her sooner.

It wasn't long before Yoruichi found her. She was at the central training grounds, running her troops through intense drills. Some of them were even collapsing. Next to her was Omeada, munching away at his crackers. Even though she was on a rooftop some distance from her, she was stunned at how different she looked. Her hair cut short in a straight bob, coming down below her ears. The braids were gone, too. She was also taller now, almost as tall as herself now. In her full uniform with her new hair cut and height, she could easily be mistaken for a man by a passer-by. Intrigued, she bound from the rooftop and landed behind them effortlessly. Neither of them seemed to notice. From the training ground, someone could be heard shouting for a medic.

"Gee Soi, you push them any harder and you won't have anyone left to train." Yoruichi ribbed her former student, who quickly turned around at the sound of her voice.

"Yoruichi-sama!" Soifon was surprised to see her here. It wasn't like her to show up announced without a reason.

"See! Even she agrees with me." Omeada said triumphantly.

"Shut up Omeada." Soifon said flatly, deflating him. "Is something wrong, Yoruichi-sama?"

"No, nothing's wrong." Yoruichi waved off Soifon's concerns. "I just came to see how you were doing, that's all."

"I'm doing fine, Yoruichi-sama, but if you'll excuse me, new recruits came in today and I have-" Soifon began before she was cut off.

"Oh no, you're not getting rid of me that easily." Yoruichi grabbed Soifon's arm and began to drag her away.

"Omeada! Make sure they continue the exercises that _I_ started them on!" Soifon shouted before she was pulled around a corner. "Where are we going?" She asked her kidnapper.

"I'm hungry, and you should be too." Yoruichi let Soifon go."I figured we could catch up over lunch."

"That sounds fine." Soifon agreed. As they walked, Yoruichi couldn't help but notice that Soifon carried herself differently. She had always walked with confidence, but she also appeared tense, like she was unsure of something. Now, she still walked with that same confidence, but she seemed more at ease.

It didn't take the two of them long to reach the cafeteria. They both grabbed a tray and got their food; Soifon choosing fried rice and fish and Yoruichi opting for a salad. They found a somewhat secluded table in the corner of the mess hall and took their seats. Soifon took her cup of tea in her left hand and Yoruichi almost smacked herself for not noticing something so obvious sooner.

"Your arm!" Yoruichi stared at the appendage. She had even been dragging her by it.

"This," Soifon removed the long glove from her left arm. "Is not my arm. It's a prosthetic." Yoruichi took the arm in her hands and began to examine it. Soifon blushed at the attention. "The Research and Development Institute made it. It's not perfect though. The only sensation it can transmit is pressure. If I wasn't looking, I would know something was making contact, but I couldn't tell the difference between a fist and a finger." Yoruichi released the arm.

"Really?" Yoruichi asked. She was amazed at how authentic it felt and looked.

"The Research and Development Institute is working on a model that can transmit the full range of sensations, but it is a long way off." Soifon took a sip from her tea.

"We could just have Orihime restore your old one." Yoruichi offered.

"What good is a mistake without a consequence?" Soifon asked rhetorically.

"What do you mean?" Yoruichi wasn't following her.

"I should have realized that I wasn't going to be able to defeat Barragan sooner. This," she held up the arm and looked at it. "Serves as a constant reminder of how pride clouded my judgment." Yoruichi let the issue drop and the two of them sat in silence eating until Soifon brushed some of her hair out of her eyes.

"You cot a haircut." Yoruichi commented. "Got tired of the braids?" She was disappointed to see them go. They were so unique.

"I got it cut shortly after I lost my arm. It was too difficult to re-braid my hair every day with one arm so I decided to have it cut instead." Yoruichi suddenly felt very selfish.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Yoruichi apologized.

"Why?" Soifon asked.

"I made is sound like a fashion statement," Yoruichi answered. "But you had to deal with a disability at the time."

"It's okay. You didn't know. Plus it's a lot more practical now." Soifon reassured Yoruichi.

"Looks good too." Yoruichi complemented.

"Thank you." Soifon blushed. Yoruichi stretched her legs under the table, but quickly retracted them when she felt them make contact with Soifon's; something that had never happened before. "I'm sorry." Soifon apologized.

"It's okay. Where did those extra inches come from, anyway?" Yoruichi asked. Soifon sighed. She knew the conversation would turn in this direction.

"Ever since I was young, I," Soifon hesitated for a moment. "Have struggled with anorexia." She looked down, ashamed at her own weakness.

"Soi," Yoruichi was toughly shocked. "I don't know what to say." She felt terrible that she hadn't been able to tell that anything was wrong.

"It's okay." Soifon reassured Yoruichi. She could see that she was troubled.

"I'm still confused." Yoruichi didn't exactly equate how anorexia equated to Soifon's new height.

"After the war, I," Soifon hesitated again, "spent a lot of time in the hospital." Yoruichi nodded, thinking she understood why. "While I was there, Unohana helped me overcome it. She told me that my malnourished state postponed my natural development and it wasn't uncommon for it to restart once healthy eating patterns resume, though not to its full extent." She took a bite of her plate to emphasize that she was in fact cured.

"Well, I'm happy you finally beat it." Yoruichi smiled. The two of them finished their meals, disposed of their trays and left the cafeteria. They took their time getting back to the training ground. "So, what's life like in the Gotei 13 these days?" Yoruichi asked.

"Hectic," Soifon answered. "For the Second and Onmitsukido, at least. While the rest of the Divisons are recuperating, we have to work harder than ever to make sure nothing like that ever happens again."

"Sounds like you won't be having much free time." Yoruichi said disappointedly.

"Actually, I've made it a point to schedule the second Wednesday of each month as a personal day off." Soifon half-lied. While she did take the day off, it was by Unohana's orders, not her own volition.

"Really?" Yoruichi was surprised that Soifon even knew what "day off" meant.

"Your free to stop by then if you like, but I'll have little time to spare anytime else." They arrived to the training ground.

"That sounds like a plan. I'll see you then." Yoruichi waved goodbye before disappearing. Soifon turned to her lieutenant.

"Tell them to take a break, Omeada. Have them resume training in an hour." She said before leaving. Omeada silently blessed the golden women and the effect she had on his captain.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Comments and criticism are always welcome.

* * *

Soifon's alarm clock went off at four-thirty, just like it did every other day. Groggily, she dragged herself out of bed and made her way to her closet, where she collected the day's clothing. With her uniform in hand she made her way to the bathroom, where she took a quick shower.

Soifon had always hated where the mirror was placed in her bathroom. It's position made it impossible not to see yourself as you exited the shower. Standing there, seeing her own naked body, Soifon couldn't help but feel disgusted at what she saw.

The amount of change that had taken place in the six months since Soifon's "breakdown" was a true testament to the wonders of the human body. Since her pituitary gland had started getting proper nutrition, her body had resumed its normal growth cycle. She had gained about an inch and a half in height and her breasts size had increased by almost a cup size. The amount of fatty tissue in the other "womanly" areas; hips, buttock, thighs; had also increased. Offsetting this, however, was the increase in muscle mass that was a result of proper caloric intake.

Unohana had warned her that such "changes" would occur, but it hadn't made them any easier. She hated the way she looked before and especially hated the way she looked now. The once miniscule swells of her breasts now hung like bloated bags of fat. Her stomach protruded almost to her ribcage, which was now no longer visible, and, to put it crudely, her "ass was fat."

Ripping her gaze from herself, she toweled off and got dressed. One of the benefits of short hair was that it dried by itself in a timely manner. After she put the laundry in its proper place, she made her way to the kitchen. On the counter were two pill bottles. One was full of anti-depressants and the other, appetite stimulants.

The entirety of Soifon's life has been spent in pursuit if the one thing that has eluded her the most; control. Born into a subservient clan, her occupation had been determined long before she had been born. Her younger years had been filled with highly organized training regiments and constant reminders that her life was for the Shihoin house to command.

Even now, as head of the Second Division and the Onmitsukido, she still received her orders from Yamamoto-sotaicho. Worse still were the tiny pills that sat in her hand. The represented the ultimate lack of control. She hated the way they made her act, think, and feel. The only reason she even took them was because she knew she was on thin ice. Yamamoto had wanted to remove her from command but Unohana had fought for her position. Unohana's reputation was on the line, as well as her own livelihood. Begrudgingly, she swallowed the capsules.

It didn't take long for her stomach to start demanding food. She made herself a light breakfast and ate it leisurely. Outside, she could hear the troops of her divisions training. On any other day, she would be out there with them, but today was different. Today was the second Wednesday of the month; the day she took off to see Unohana. But today was different than the rest. Yoruichi was supposed to come and see her today.

Soifon looked at the clock. It was five-thirty. She needed to be at the Fourth Division in a half-an-hour. Picking up her pen from her desk, she wrote a note to Yoruichi, on the offhand chance that she showed up this early. She attached it to the refrigerator, since she would probably go there as soon as she got here.

Sliding the shoji to the outside open, Soifon made her way to the Fourth Division and her appointment.

* * *

Yoruichi's soft paws padded down almost silently as she landed on Soifon's windowsill. Yoruichi was anything but an early riser, but today was the second Wednesday of the month and one of the only times she would be able to spend some time with Soifon without any pesky interruptions.

Jumping from the windowsill to the desk and from there to the floor, she noticed that the only noise in the apartment was being caused by her. She quickly searched the rooms only to find, to her disappointment, that Soifon was not here.

She entered the kitchen in her human form to get something to drink when she noticed a note attached to the refrigerator. She took it off and read it.

_Yoruichi-sama, _

_Have business to attend to_

_Be back shortly_

Satisfied with her glass of milk and the fact that she had not been forgotten, Yoruichi turned back into a cat, curled up on Soifon's desk and decided to get some more sleep in the mean time.

* * *

Soifon sat opposite of Unohana across a small glass table that held two water glasses. The room she was in was only big enough to house the two chairs the women occupied and the table between them with a little room to maneuver around them. Although was not visible, the walls of the room were soundproof.

Unohana sat with her legs crossed an a clip board atop them, propped at an angle that denied Soifon the ability to see what was being written on the papers attached to it. She was less than pleased with the way Soifon's treatment has been going. It hadn't taken long for necessity to reunite Soifon with Suzumebachi and it had taken an even shorter amount of time for it to reduce her visits from two to one a month. However, Unohana was happy with the way Soifon seemed to be handling everything.

She had been in a very similar situation in the time following Yoruichi's flight. The then-young girl spiral into a depressed state and began engaging in what was casually referred to as "cutting." She had fought tooth and nail against any help that she was offered, but now, she was very receptive.

"You seem anxious, is something wrong?" Unohana began.

"No, nothing is wrong." Soifon answered. "It's just that Yoruichi-sama is supposed to come and see me today." Soifon's demeanor became almost bashful at the mention of the woman.

Much of the time Soifon spent in this room was spent on talking about Yoruichi. At first, it had been about how much better Yoruichi was than her in every way and how unworthy she was to even being in her presence. As time progressed, however, Soifon began to deconstruct her own mythology.

It started when Yoruichi had fled and was branded a traitor. At first, Soifon was hyper-defensive, telling everyone that would listen that "this must be some kind-of loyalty excessive" and that she "would remain loyal so that she will not be punished the day she returns." But as the weeks turned into years, Soifon realized that Yoruichi was not coming back. She was devastated, but the acceptance of the fact that she was a traitor was a crack in the pedestal that Yoruichi resided on in her mind; one that grew and grew.

Once they were finally reunited and the reasons for her betrayal were revealed, mortar was applied to those cracked. Soifon was amazed that Yoruichi would sacrifice so much for the sake of others and was very happy to get to work together on various assignments with her again.

When hostilities with Aizen's forces finally broke out, Soifon expected Yoruichi to be right next to her, fighting just like the rest of them. But she wasn't. Sure she helped gather intelligence, but when those that she called "friends" were fighting for their lives and the institutions that they held dear, she was nowhere to be found.

Soifon was shocked. Yoruichi was powerful, she knew that for a fact, and all that power might have saved lives. But Yoruichi chose to do nothing. Having all the power in the world is meaningless if one chooses not to use it. That was the crack that broke the pedestal. Yoruichi was finally mortal, fallible, to Soifon. The realization didn't change how Soifon felt about the woman, just how she saw her. But no matter the amount of iconoclasm, Soifon still couldn't break the lifetime of conditioning that made her call the woman "sama." And even if Soifon no longer revered Yoruichi like a Goddess, her House was still subservient to the Shihoin's.

"I see." Unohana wrote on her pad. Soifon hated the sound Unohana's pen made as it scratched the paper. She desperately wanted to know what judgments were being silently passed on her. "If that's the case, then I won't keep you long." To Unohana, social interaction would be much more valuable to Soifon than any amount of time in therapy. "I trust you are still taking you medications as instructed?"

"Yes, but I have started taking the appetite stimulant only in the mornings. It's the only time I need help eating." Soifon answered, nervous to see the reaction she out get.

"That's fine. Our ultimate goal is to eventually get you off of these pills." Unohana began to write some more, then tore a piece of paper from the clip board. "Here's you prescription. Please get it filled as quickly as possible." Soifon took the piece of paper.

"I will, and thank you." Soifon stood and left and went straight the pharmacy where she got her prescription filled. With pills in tow, she made her way to her apartment as quickly as possible, hoping that Yoruichi hadn't gotten there yet.

* * *

Sliding the shoji silently, Soifon entered her quarters to see a sleeping cat on her desk. Disappointed in herself for making Yoruichi wait, she silently made her way to her medicine cabinet in the kitchen. Carefully opening it, she placed her medications on their proper shelves. She then began to close it, only to have it creek loudly. Moments later, she heard a feline yawn come from the other room. She entered to see Yoruichi stretching herself on her desk.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." Soifon apologized to the cat.

"So you were going to let me sleep through your day off, even after I came all the way here just to see you." Yoruichi teased in the masculine voice she had in cat form.

"No! I just didn't mean to disturb you." Soifon explained, not picking up on Yoruichi's tone.

"Relax, I was just kidding." Soifon turned off to the kitchen.

"I had some milk while you were out. I hope you don't mind." A feminine voice called out from the other room.

"No, not at all. Help yours-" Soifon turned the corner only to be greeted by the sight of a very naked Yoruichi. Before she could drink in the whole sight, she snapped around. She could feel her whole face getting hot. "Yoruichi-sama! Put some clothes on!" She shouted. Yoruichi just sighed.

"Why does everyone react the same whenever I'm naked around them?" She asked innocently. Soifon tried to answer, but faltered. "Give me three good reasons why I should put some close on."

"Because you're the head of the Shihoin house!" Soifon said with her back still turned.

"And therefore I should be able to do whatever I want." Yoruichi shot back. She could see Soifon's shoulder muscles tense in frustration; muscles that weren't there the last time she saw the exposed skin of her back.

"Because it's indecent!" Soifon shouted rather hurriedly.

"That's all relative." Yoruichi waved her off. "Besides, I don't have anything that you haven't seen before."

"But I'm gay!" In her rush to preserve the other woman's modesty, she hadn't considered the ramifications of reviling her sexuality. There was an awkward silence.

"Alright fine, you win." Yoruichi walked off the Soifon's closet. Sifting through numerous identical uniforms, she finally found a light robe.

"That's all you're going to say?" Soifon was shocked. The precious few people she had inadvertently told about her sexual orientation had made a large to-do about it, especially Rangiku Matsumoto, who almost threw her a "coming out" party before she stop her.

"What else is there to say?" Yoruichi tied the robes sash around her waist. "It's not a big deal. All it means is that I get to treat you like my guy friends now." Soifon's shoulders slumped as she breathed a sigh of relief. Yoruichi exited the closet and saw Soifon still standing there with her back turned. "You can turn around now." Hoping that the golden-eyed woman wasn't still toying with her, Soifon turned around. The sight she saw was almost more unbearably beautiful than the one before. Yoruichi stood before her in a light robe that fell mid-thigh. It was tied so loosely that she was barley contained in it.

Yoruichi was also taken aback by the sight she saw. She remembered what Soifon had told her about her "growth spurt," but such a term was almost an understatement. Her breast and hips were slightly larger. More prominent, though, were the muscles on her. Under all the skin that the Commander-in-Chief uniform exposed, Yoruichi could see muscle definition. She wasn't bulging, but she was far beyond toned. Yoruichi struggled to find the right adjective to describe the Soifon in front of her. She was masculine, enough so that with her haori on and her short, bobbed hair, she could be mistaken for a man, but not enough to be called "handsome." But she was hardly feminine enough to be called "pretty". Suddenly, both of them became self-conscious as the realized that they had been staring at one another.

"So, what do you normally do on days like today?" Yoruichi asked, breaking the silence.

"Well," Soifon faltered, regaining her composure. "Usually take this opportunity to catch up on paperwork." As soon as the words left her mouth, Yoruichi slapped her forehead in an overly-dramatic manner.

"I knew you didn't really know what a day off was." Yoruichi sighed. "Days like today are rare. You're supposed to sit back, kick of your shoes, and relax."

"But the work needs done and…" Soifon started.

'Gah! You're impossible!" Yoruichi scanned the room around her for something, anything, to do rather that paperwork. To her dismay, the apartment was largely bare. The only furniture in the room was Soifon's desk and the chair behind it. It wasn't that there room wasn't large enough to house such amenities; the main living space of a Captain's quarters was about the same size as two full regular quarters, but that Soifon simply choose to leave it as such.

"Follow me." Yoruichi started heading for the door.

"You don't plan on going out in that do you?" Soifon gasped.

"Well, I don't have anything else." Yoruichi shrugged.

"Wait here." Soifon left and returned shortly with a spare uniform. Yoruichi begrudgingly put it on while Soifon's eyes remained fixed on any but the changing woman.

"Happy now?" Yoruichi asked. Soifon nodded. "Alight, now follow me."

* * *

Yoruichi and Soifon stood outside a furniture shop in one of the upper Rukongai Districts.

"What are we doing here, Yoruichi-sama?" Soifon asked, staring at the large warehouse.

"This place sells furniture modeled after that of the Human world." Yoruichi answered. "We're going to buy you a couch." Soifon followed Yoruichi as she entered the shop.

"Can I help you two ladies?" A fat man sitting behind a counter greeted them as they entered.

"No thanks were fine." Yoruichi answered with a wave and a smile. She began to wander the large display room aimlessly. Soifon followed close behind.

"What, exactly, is a couch?" Soifon asked as she followed Yoruichi from one point to another.

"Possible one of the greatest inventions ever." Yoruichi stopped suddenly in front of what looked like four large chairs attached to one another with large cushions on them and arms on both ends. "Ah, here we go." Unceremoniously, Yoruichi fell back onto the couch, bouncing slightly as the puffy cushions pushed up against her. She sighed contently.

"Well, try it out." She patted the cushions next to her. Cautiously, Soifon sat down on the end farthest from Yoruichi. "No, no, you're doing it wrong." Yoruichi stood up, grabbed Soifon's wrists, and began to pull her up. Before she was upright, Yoruichi let go and Soifon fell back onto the couch. She was surprised to feel no pain, only the soft, stuffed cushions.

"It is quite comfortable…" Soifon said as she pushed down on the downy padding.

"See! I told you they were great!" Yoruichi said triumphantly.

"…but I don't think I have enough room in my quarters for something this large." Soifon finished, sounding a little disappointed.

"Yeah, your right." She pulled Soifon up again and led her to the counter. "Excuse me," The fat man looked up from the papers on the counter. "Do you have any love seats?"

"Love seats?" Soifon squeaked.

"Relax, it's a technical term." Yoruichi said, amused by her friends literal interpretation.

"Yes ma'am, back and too you're left." The man pointed for emphasis. Following his directions, the two women found themselves in front of a large display of furniture similar to the couches, but they were about half the size. Picking out one covered on brown leather, Yoruichi repeated the same process that she had done with the couch. Soifon did the same and found, to her delight and dismay, that the size of the love seat made in impossible for her to be anywhere other than dangerously close to Yoruichi.

"You like it?" Yoruichi asked.

"It's…comfortable…enough." A flustered Soifon responded.

"That settles it." Yoruichi stood up and walked back to the counter. "We'll take the brown leather love seat." Yoruichi told the man. He took out a large book and started filling out an order form the information in the inside. He handed the form to Yoruichi, who signed it.

"And how will you be paying for it?" The man asked curiously rather than suspiciously.

"Just send the bill to the Shihoin estate." Both the man's and Soifon's eyes went wide when he read her signature.

"Yoruichi-sama, I can't ask you to pay for it!" Soifon protested.

"Relax, I have more money than I know what to do with." Yoruichi said casually. "It's nice to get to spend it on friends for a change."

"And where will the item be delivered to, Shihoin-denka?" The man asked.

"Here," Yoruichi wrote down the address of Soifon's quarters on a slip of paper. If it were possible, the man's eyes went wider.

"Thank you for your patronage." The man leapt from his stool and bowed, then waddled to a back room where Soifon and Yoruichi could hear him shouting at some people to "get of their lazy asses and do some work."

* * *

Yoruichi and Soifon took their time getting back to Soifon's quarters. When they arrived, Yoruichi was pleased to see that the sofa had been delivered and was position in an appropriate place.

"Now what?" Soifon asked, staring at the new addition.

"You sit back," Yoruichi pushed Soifon onto the love seat and sat down next to her. "Take off your shoes," Soifon gasped as Yoruichi grabbed her legs and removed her shoes and threw them across the room. "And relax." Yoruichi said as she stretched her legs out in front of her and spread her arms out along the back of the sofa.

They sat there for some time in content silence. Sitting next to Yoruichi, simply doing nothing, as she had been forced to do many times in the past when the woman was her ranked superior, filled Soifon with almost unbearable nostalgia. In a bit of daring, she spoke.

"Yoruichi-sama?" Soifon began intrepidly.

"Yeah?" Yoruichi responded.

"Why didn't you take me with you?" The question wasn't asked in anger or sadness, simply curiosity. Yoruichi sighed. She knew this would probable come up again, but had hoped that it wouldn't. She just wanted to move on.

"You probably want to hear some canned speech about how "it would have been unfair to you and your potential" or something like that." Yoruichi turned to face Soifon. "But the truth is that there really wasn't any reason other than time."

"Time?" Soifon asked.

"Yeah. Everything happened so fast that, if I had delayed, people would have died." Yoruichi recounted. "By the time I finally caught a break, it was too late to get you involved."

"So that's the only reason?" Soifon asked with cautious optimism.

"Yep. Having you around then would have really taken a load off of me and it's not like you couldn't have continued to train after we got out." Yoruichi could see the relief on Soifon's face. To Soifon, this was all that she could have hoped for. To find out that not only had she not been abandoned but had been wanted to come along lifted a tremendous weight from her chest.

The two chatted idly about things of little importance until the sun went down. When the sky darkened, Yoruichi rose.

"Well," She said as she stretched her stiff muscles. "It looks like I should get going." She looked at Soifon. "Same time, same place?"

"S..sure!" Soifon replied more enthusiastically than she wanted to. She hadn't expected Yoruichi to want to come back for another visit.

"Alright, I'll see you then." Yoruichi left, leaving a markedly happier Soifon behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Comments and criticism are always welcome.

I feel like I need to work on my character interactions. I can write exposition like a champ but I feel like my character interactions are lacking.

* * *

Yoruichi lay curled up as a cat on a window sill of Urahara Shoten, letting the sun warm her body. Outwardly, she was the picture of tranquility; her stomach calmly rising and falling in even breaths and her tail lazily flicking away a bothersome fly. Inwardly, however, her mind was working at an accelerated rate.

There were a lot on misconceptions surrounding Yoruichi Shihoin. One of the more innocuous was that she hated either being royalty, a Captain of the Gotie 13, or both. While it was true that being the head of one of the Four Nobel Houses entailed much responsibly, the perks of the position far outweighed the negatives. She was financially secure for the rest of her life and it is nice for her to be able to give a command and for it to be executed with little delay. Simply because she didn't act superior to others and disliked honorifics didn't mean she hated her status.

The Captaincy was a different matter. There were very few benefits to being a Captain in the Gotie 13. The higher up in the ranks one got, the less real work one actually did. Most of what a Captain does is administrative. She probably would have found a way out of the obligation had it not been for one fact; she loves to teach. To Yoruichi, there was nothing more satisfying than to impart your knowledge onto another and to watch them grow and master concepts and techniques that they once struggled with. In another life, she probably would have been a school teacher.

One of the more sinister rumors that swirled around her was that she was some degree of promiscuous. Part of her could understand how such a perception could grow. Her dislike of clothing was well known and she had often been found nude in the company of males and females alike. This was due to her ability to transform into a cat. Her clothes did not transform with her and should the need arise to regain her human state; she would be left bare if there was nothing there for her to put on. Not that she really minded. She was comfortable in her skin. None the less, Yoruichi hated that most people though that she was "sleeping around" and that notion it was too widely accepted for her to be able to dispel it.

The somewhat embarrassing truth of the matter was that she has never been in a consensual relationship, let alone one that matured to physical intimacy.

In her youth, she had endured the torturous Royal Courtships that were arranged between Houses to bolster relations. All of the young men, to use a tired and mostly untrue expression, were all the same. They were all very possessive, demanding that she be on their arm at all times, and they became extremely jealous of anyone she paid attention to that wasn't them. Especially Kiuske, with whom they never seemed to grasp the concept that he was as close to a brother as someone can be without sharing blood.

The one thing that she detested the most about them, though, was the fact that just because their fathers said that they could have her, as if she were an object, they felt it was within their right to lay their hands on her wherever they liked. She had, more than once, literally beaten suitors off of her after they had given her unsolicited "affection". Yoruichi was not unaware of the fact that most people considered her to be very physically attractive, but that was no excuse for the lack of respect that they showed for her.

One of the saving graces of entering the Gotie 13 was that there was no time for her to participate in the excruciating affairs. While the clan elders would send her messages every year telling her who she was betrothed to at any given time, she never had the time nor the inclination to meet any of the men. The down side was that her position left her little free time to pursue a relationship of her own making. The fraternization laws that prohibited relationships between those of lower and higher rank made things more difficult still, limiting her choices of those who she could engage in a relationship publicly to those with equally limited time.

Even in her exile, Yoruichi remained and island. Even if she hadn't chose to spend most of her travels in cat form, the age and life expectancy disparity between her any human made a relationship nigh impossible, not to mention all the secrets she would have to keep from them.

All this lead, tangentially, back to Soifon being of the female persuasion. Yoruichi had meant what she said when Soifon told her that she was a lesbian; it wasn't a big deal. She had simply accepted it and let the matter drop. However, that bit of information would pop into her thoughts at random times.

It first happened while she was passing time watching a movie. In it, the main character sent his love interest a bouquet of flowers with a card in it reading "Because it's Tuesday." After seeing that scene, Yoruichi's first thought was: "Would Soifon do that for me?"

It was a harmless though, mealy an idle daydream, but it stuck with her, and the more Yoruichi thought about it, the more she began to filter Soifon's behavior through that lens, and it began to take on a whole new meaning. One event in particular stood out in her mind.

It had been during the Bount incident. She had worked with Soifon on gathering intelligence on the new enemy. Coincidently, the day that they wrapped up their investigation had been Valentine's Day. Somewhere along the line, Soifon had been made aware of the holiday and brought Yoruichi a box of chocolates. Yoruichi, thinking that Soifon misunderstood the meaning of the holiday, didn't accept them.

But what if she hadn't misunderstood Valentine's Day? What if she had understood it perfectly?

The more Yoruichi thought about Soifon's actions in this way, the more Yoruichi realized how different she was to the others whose eyes and hearts had wandered her way. She wasn't possessive as much as protective; she didn't want to stifle her ventures, she merely wanted to make sure no misfortune befell her during them. Yoruichi couldn't ask for someone to treat her with more respect. Soifon denied herself the opportunity to view her naked body, even when it was freely offered.

Despite the fact that she had never been in a relationship, Yoruichi knew she was a romantic at heart. She had seen movies and read books where the woman would receive spontaneous gifts and such from their lovers and she knew that's what she wanted, and Soifon was the only person who has even attempted to romance her, even if it is in her own awkward way. She couldn't deny that she felt her heart flutter at the thought of a flustered Soifon going through the trouble of buying her chocolates.

Yoruichi was fiercely independent. She prided herself on being able to take care of herself. Even so, humans are communal creatures and she desperately wanted someone who she could share with, both physically and emotionally, on a plane higher than a friend.

And why not Soifon? She was as good a person as any, if not better. Something has always drawn her to Soifon, that's why she took her under her wing in the first place. Maybe it was her boyish charms. Soifon has always been something of a tomboy, but now, with her short hair and defined muscles, she was very close to androgynous. That made her far from unappealing, however. In fact, Yoruichi found Soifon's new look very attractive. When she first got a good look at her during her last visit, her eyes had lingered longer than she had been consciously aware of at the time.

Perhaps it was how easily embarrassed she was. It was so much fun to tease her and watch her get frustrated and blush. Or maybe it was how passionate she could get. When Soifon truly believed in something, she would put one-hundred percent of herself into it. She wasn't perfect; Soifon wasn't much of a communicator and she tended to dwell and brood over things for a very long time, but Yoruichi wasn't about to overlook the affection and kindness Soifon has shown her just because she was a woman.

_But what if I'm wrong_? Yoruichi though. _What If I'm over thinking things?_ That was always a possibility. Yoruichi decided that she the first thing she needed to do was confirm Soifon's feelings before perusing her own.

Shacking of the lingering doubts, Yoruichi rose to quench the thirst that the hot sun had created. She couldn't help but notice her heart rate speed up as she contemplated treading into such uncharted territory.

* * *

Soifon sat on the sofa with her legs crossed and a clipboard resting of them. She had taken to doing light paperwork, forms that only need her signature and such, on the sofa. The wooden, unpadded chair that sat behind her desk was uncomfortable and the hours that she spent in it often made her rear and back sore.

_Why does the Captain position even exist?_ Soifon wondered as she rested her hand for a moment. _All we are, for the most part, are glorified secretaries. _Soifon picked up her pen to resume her work when, suddenly, a commotion at her window caught her attention.

"NO!" Soifon looked up to see Yoruichi's torso hanging out of the window. "NononoNO!" Yoruichi wriggled her way through the small opening and fell to the ground gracelessly. Standing up, she brushed herself off.

"Whew," she exhaled. "That's a lot easier to do as a cat." She turned to face Soifon again. "That's not why I got you that!" She pointed at the sofa.

"Wha…?" Soifon mumbled in confusion.

"I got you that sofa so you could relax, not do paper work on it." She walked over, snatched the pen form Soifon's hand, and threw it over her shoulder. "And on your day off, of all days!" It was strange. During the trek to Soifon, Yoruichi had been worried that her shift in perspective on their relationship would make spending time with her awkward. Once she got her, though, everything felt the same as it did before. Yoruichi couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing.

"I'm sorry Yoruichi-sama." Soifon apologized and walked to her desk. "It's just that I didn't have anything else to do and that's the most comfortable seat I have." Soifon began to put the paperwork back in its proper place in her desk. Yoruichi fell back on the sofa and sprawled out. There was silence between the two as Yoruichi contemplated something for them to do that would get Soifon away from her work.

"Hey," Soifon looked up at the sound of Yoruichi's voice. "You know what I haven't done in a _long_ time?" Soifon shook her head. "Gone fishing."

"Fishing?" Soifon asked. She had never pictured Yoruichi as an angler.

"Yeah." Yoruichi confirmed. "There's a pond at my house that's full of koi. Wanna go?"

"Sure." Soifon responded flatly. She had never gone fishing before, the activity never appealed to her despite her affinity to the animal, but she didn't want to say no to something Yoruichi seemed so keen on doing.

"Great, follow me." Once the two were outside, they were gone in a flash.

* * *

Soifon scoffed how casually Yoruichi used the term "house." The Shihoin estate sate on a sprawling one-hundred acres. In the middle was a huge pagoda that served as the main residence. Surrounding it was a small village of servant's quarters. The grounds were home to a verity of different landscapes, with the immediate surroundings of the pagoda being a well kept garden. The farther one got from the central residence, the more untamed the scenery became. Behind the mansion lay a sakura forest that connected the Shihoin estate to the Fon.

The "pond" that Yoruichi mentioned was actually a small lake that sat on the outskirts of the property. Near it was a small shack that housed fishing supplies. Yoruichi grabbed two simple bamboo rods. Overhanging the lake was a pier that sat just inches of the water's surface. Yoruichi took of her shoes, rolled up her pant legs, and dangled her feet over the edge into the cool water. Soifon sat cross-legged next to her. The both sat their silently, watching the bobbers at the end of their lines move up and down with the waves on the water.

"Not much of a conversationalist, are you?" Yoruichi finally spoke.

"The noise would scare away the fish." Soifon said quietly, drawing on her perfunctory knowledge of the trade.

"No one actually goes fishing to catch fish." Yoruichi exaggerated. "People fish because it's relaxing. If I really wanted to go fishing, I would have just myself."

"Then why are we here?" Soifon asked in confusion rather than irritation.

"I want to spend time with you, that's why." Yoruichi smiled as she saw red creep up Soifon's checks. "So start talking."

"What's there to talk about?" Soifon asked.

"What's there to talk about?" Yoruichi shouted. "Every time we don't see each other for some time, you're a different person when we meet again." She kicked her legs in the water, creating ripples on the surface. "After one hundred years, you became the head of the Second and the Onmitsukido," Yoruichi pulled her line in and cast it back out in a different spot. "And now, in less than a year you turned into this big, strong lesbian. It's like I have to get to know you again each time."

"There's not much to say." Soifon lied, her eyes locked on the bobber at the end of her line. "Most of the changes you talk about are superficial. I cut my hair and am eating right."

"Maybe, but not all of them were. " Soifon looked at Yoruichi questioningly.

"What do you mean by that?" Soifon asked.

"Well, are there any special lady friends who are jealous of me right now?" Yoruichi inquired trepidatiously. She looked at Soifon for an answer, but all she got was a confused look. "Are you seeing anyone?" Yoruichi asked bluntly.

"No, why do you ask?" Yoruichi had never asked her about her love life before.

"To be honest, I was surprised when you came out to me." Yoruichi recast her line. "I never really pictured you with a sexuality to begin with, so I figured there was a reason for you telling me."

"No, there was no reason." Soifon answered as evenly as she could.

"I see." Yoruichi thought that she had caught something and jerked her line up, only to find it empty. "Is there anyone out there you've had your eye one?" Yoruichi asked as she recast her line.

"What is with the sudden interest in my personal life?" Soifon asked preemptively, trying to prevent Yoruichi inquisition from traveling down roads she'd rather not take.

"Whenever people ask me if you're a friend of mine, I hesitate," Yoruichi said sadly. "Because even though we've known each other for so long, I don't really feel like I could truly call you a friend." Soifon's posture visibly sagged. It was something she had always known, but had wanted to hear Yoruichi say. "And I hate that." Soifon's head whipped around.

"Yoruichi-sama…" Soifon gasped.

"I mean, we've spent plenty of time together, but whenever I'm with you, I always feel like you trying to keep me at an arm's length. " Yoruichi hopped she didn't sound too obvious.

"That's because-" Soifon began before Yoruichi cut her off.

"I'm a Shihoin and you're a Fon and it would be inappropriate of me to fraternize with someone of such lowly status." Yoruichi said, mocking Soifon's voice. "Am I right?"

"Y..yes." Soifon looked down at her hands.

"Well I don't care." Yoruichi said flippantly. "I like you," Soifon's face reddened, "And when someone asks me if you a friend of mine, I don't want to have to hesitate. And If someone asks you," she poked Soifon's shoulder, "the same thing, I don't want you to give them some speech on noble etiquette. All I want to hear is yes." Yoruichi was distracted by a shrill buzzing at her ear. She hadn't noticed that the sun had begun to dip below the horizon.

"I hadn't noticed that it had gotten so late." Yoruichi pulled her line out of the water. "We should probably go get something to eat."

"That's hardly necessary." Soifon said as she removed the glove from her right hand. She leaned over the edge of the pier and snatched up two koi that had been swimming near the surface of the water with ease.

* * *

Soifon removed a filet knife from a drawer in the kitchen of her quarters. The two fish had already been scaled and gutted, so it was time to cut the meat into edible fillets. Soifon chuckled to herself as she slid the knife along the muscle. She had found it strange that Unohana would allow her to keep cooking utensils in her home, but no weapons. A blade was a blade.

After the fish was filleted, she placed it in a pan on the stove with various vegetables in soy sauce mixed with other spices and flavorings and let that cook. She had already started some rice boiling. Once the rice was done, she drained it and divided the helpings unevenly onto two plates. The stir fry was done shortly after and she spooned it out onto the rice.

Yoruichi sat on the love seat watching the whole scene in amazement. She could hardly believe that Soifon was cooking for her. What was more amazing was how at ease she seemed.

Soifon walked over to Yoruichi carrying the two plates of food. She handed the plate with the larger portion to Yoruichi nervously. She had never cooked for her before and she was afraid she might find her culinary skills up to par. Yoruichi scooted over to give Soifon room to sit and took the plate. Soifon sat down next to her shyly.

Yoruichi eyed the food nervously. It looked tasty enough, but if spending time around Orihime had taught her anything, it was that a dishes appearance could be deceiving. Cautiously, she raised a morsel to her mouth. Soifon watched breathlessly. Yoruichi chewed it slowly and swallowed it, then dug unto the rest of her meal ferociously. Soifon sighed in relief and eat her own meal.

"Since when could you cook?" Yoruichi said between mouthfuls.

"Since I started eating." Soifon responded after she swallowed. "I never cooked until recently. As it turns out, I'm not too bad at it."

"Not too bad? That was delicious!" Yoruichi exclaimed as she finished.

"T..thank you." Soifon blushed at the compliment. She finished shortly after and took the plates to the sink to wash.

"I should probably get going." Yoruichi looked out the window. The sky was beginning to dim.

"Yeah." Soifon sighed. The idea of spending so much time with Yoruichi had scared her at first, but she found that she genuinely enjoyed her visits and hated when they had to come to an end.

"I'll see you in a month." Yoruichi waved and exited through the shoji rather than the window. She smiled to herself once she was outside.

_And she can cook_, Yoruichi added to her growing mental list of "Pros."


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Comments and criticism are always welcome.

This is essentially a re-hash of Chapters 2 & 3 of the first version of Rubber Traits, so don't be surprised when much of it looks familiar.

The short time between chapters 3 & 4 is meant to make up for the (most likely) long delay between chapters 4 & 5.

* * *

"Taicho?" Omeada waved his hand in front of the diminutive Captain. Soifon's eyes refocused and snapped to her Lieutenant.

"Yes?" She said, as if they hadn't been standing next to each other observing the troops training for the better part of an hour.

"I asked if you wanted me to start them on raid drill number three." Omeada said, a little concerned.

"Yes." Soifon answered curtly. "I'll observe from her."

"Yes ma'am!" Omeada started to leave, but stopped. "Uh, Taicho?"

"Yes, what is it." Soifon asked irritated.

"Uh, are you feeling okay?" Omeada asked cautiously. Ever since her "breakdown," Unohana charged him with keeping an eye on Soifon's attitude and behavior. He had been told to contact the Fourth Division's Captain should he spot anything out of the ordinary. "You've been spacing out a lot lately."

"I'm fine." Soifon tried her best to sound reassuring and commanding at the same time. "Don't concern yourself with me. Just get the men running that drill."

"Yes Taicho!"This time, Omeada didn't stop.

The truth was that Soifon was fine, she was just preoccupied. As it was before, the object of her musings was the transforming caramel-skinned goddess. However, her mind wasn't filled with the doe-eyed daydreams or poisonous fantasies of the past. This time, her mind was filled with confusion at Yoruichi's behavior.

Three months had passed since her and Yoruichi's fishing trip, and Yoruichi came and spent her days off with her like she always did. However, she was acting differently now. The way she spoke and moved almost seemed rehearsed; like she carefully planned everything out before hand. And she persisted in questioning her about intimate details about her personal life, many of which she desperately wanted to keep from the other woman.

Soifon sighed and rubber her temples. Yoruichi was coming tomorrow, and she hopped that she would act normally, if how she usually acted could be classified as "normal", this time.

What Soifon was unaware of was that Yoruichi was equally frustrated with the course their time together always seemed to take. In the space between their meetings, she would think of things for them to do and questions for her to ask to try to get Soifon to open up to her, and for the most part, they worked. Soifon seemed more at ease around her and she now occasionally started conversations rather than just responding. However, when ever Yoruichi's questions started to get personal, Soifon would start to open up, but then clam up even harder than before.

Yoruichi was anxious for tomorrow. She was all out of ideas so she had resigned herself to let Soifon and circumstance take the lead.

* * *

Soifon turned around when she heard a soft thud behind her. Just as she expected, there was a black cat sitting on her desk.

"Yoruichi-sama." Soifon greeted the other woman. Soifon's faced reddened as she quickly turned around when Yoruichi regained her human shape.

"Hey Soi. How's it going?" Yoruichi said casually.

"Fine. There's a spare uniform in the closet." Soifon pointed with her back turned. She had started keeping extra clothing on hand since Yoruichi started her regular visits.

"You know, it takes a special kind of person to say "no" to all this." Yoruichi headed off to Soifon's closet. Inside she spotted the aforementioned uniform. She began to make her way towards it when she jammed her toe on something. She drew breath sharply and grabbed it; rubbing it to assuage the pain. She looked down to see what she had hit to find a small, rectangular box. The lid had been kicked off slightly and she could see that the inside was crammed full of photographs. She took a couple out and examined them. They were gorgeous shots of landscapes.

"Are you okay?" Soifon asked from the other room. She had heard her yelp in pain. Yoruichi quickly clothed herself and grabbed the box of pictures. She exited the closet and placed the box on the desk.

"What are you doing?" Soifon voice sounded almost panicked as Yoruichi rummaged through the collection of photographs.

"Did you take these?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yes, Yoruichi-sama." Soifon answered timidly. Yoruichi winced internally.

_If this is going to go any further_, she though, _then that has to end_.

"You know I hate it when you call me "-sama." Yoruichi said, still sifting through the photos.

"It would be wrong for me not to."Soifon defended. "Even though you are no longer my ranked superior, my House still serves yours."

"Fine then, if that's how you really feel." Yoruichi put the pictures down and turned to face Soifon; her posture stiff and her shoulders square. "Soifon, Ninth head of the Fon Clan and current head of the Second Division, and the Onmitsukido," Yoruichi's voice feigned superiority. "As the Twenty-second head of the Shihoin House, I hereby release you and the Fon Clan from Shihoin servitude." Soifon stood there in shock, her mouth unable to form words.

"Are…are you serious?" Soifon finally managed to say with some difficulty.

"Dead serious." Yoruichi answered.

"I…I…don't know what to say." Soifon's voice was airy with shock.

"You don't have to say anything. It's something I've been meaning to do for a while." Yoruichi smiled. "I'm sure that there are some forms I need to fill out or something, but from now on, you're a free woman."

"Thank you." Soifon finally said after several moments of silence. Part of her was sad that Yoruichi had released her from her service, but most of her was glad that her life was finally fully her own. Yoruichi picked the pictures back up.

"These really are incredibly!" Yoruichi continued to look through the pictures.

"Photography has always been a guilty pleasure of mine." Soifon said sheepishly.

"Guilty pleasure? Soi these are amazing!" Yoruichi pointed to a black and white landscape shot.

"I could teach you how to take pictures like that." Soifon walked up next to her. "It's not that hard really."Her hands were fidgeting nervously.

"Yeah," Yoruichi replaced the photographs. "I'd like that."

* * *

Yoruichi followed Soifon out of her apartment and through the corridors of the Second Division's barracks. Once outside, Soifon quickly speed off. Yoruichi followed after her, bounding from rooftop to rooftop. It wasn't long before they were outside the walls of the Seireitei. Yoruichi followed Soifon closely as she leapt from tree limb to tree limb, leading her to some unknown destination.

Soifon stopped so suddenly that Yoruichi almost ran into her. Yoruichi looked around at her surroundings. They were in a small clearing in a large wooded area. Behind them, the massive Seireitei was just a speck. Around them were steams and large boulders covered in moss and roots. Looking up, Yoruichi could see a mountain very close by and figured they were in its foothills.

"Soi, this place is beautiful!" Yoruichi didn't know a place like this existed this close to the Seireitei. She had thought that the only places like this were outside Rukongai.

"Yeah. I found it shortly after you left." The word still had a tinge of sadness to it, but the bitterness was gone. "I've been coming out here when I need to clear my head ever since." Soifon sat and a nearby rock and took off the bag that she had slung around her shoulder. Out of it, she took two rolls of film and one of her older cameras. She handed them to Yoruichi.

"You know that they have digital cameras now, right?" The only experience Yoruichi had with photography was disposable and digital cameras.

"I don't like them." Soifon began to put the film her camera. It was newer than the one she had given Yoruichi. "They don't feel right. There not heavy enough. Plus I don't get to develop the pictures." She wiped of the lenses with some cloth. She looked over at Yoruichi, who was staring at her camera and film in confusion. "Come here, let me show you." After several awkward minutes and two ruined rolls of film, Yoruichi was ready to begin shooting.

"Ok, now what." Yoruichi asked, holding the camera in awkwardly.

"You take pictures." Soifon answered.

"Of what?"

"Anything that you want." Soifon barley finished the statement when Yoruichi raised the camera and snapped a picture of her. "It's not that simple." Soifon's eyes were filled with blue dots from the flash.

"But you said to take pictures." Yoruichi was confused.

"Yeah, but first you have to turn off the flash. It's day time, we don't need it." She reached for Yoruichi's camera and hit a button on it. "And second, you have to focus the shot." She grabbed the slider on the lenses of her camera. "Move the slider horizontally to zoom and rotate it to focus."

"Okay." Yoruichi nodded in understanding. The two women stood up and began to wander around the immediate area, taking pictures of whatever struck them. Yoruichi was surprised to find that she actually liked the activity. There was something enjoyable about searching for something beautiful and preserving it. For Soifon, it was cathartic; being able to preserve a moment in time forever and revisit it when she desired. Yoruichi looked away from the viewfinder when she heard rapid footsteps. Soifon was headed in the opposite direction she was going.

"Something wrong?" Yoruichi asked.

"I'm just getting a different lens." Soifon arrived at her bag that she left on the rock and bent at the waist to rummage through it. Seizing the opportunity, Yoruichi raised her camera and took a picture of Soifon from behind while she wasn't looking.

"Here it is." Soifon exclaimed triumphantly. Yoruichi quickly turned around before Soifon realized what had just happened.

They continued to wander the woods for another two hours, idle chatting while taking pictures of various foliage and wildlife. Soifon taught Yoruichi the different lenses and how to use them properly and the properties if the different types of film. Most of it went right over Yoruichi's head, but she continued to smile and nod. She was amazed at how eager Soifon was to teach her about her hobby. She loved how enthusiastic she was about finding a good shot and her victorious smile after she took it. Unfortunately, her stomach wasn't having such a good time.

"Did you pack anything to eat?" Yoruichi asked after Soifon finished the picture she was taking.

"No, are you hungry?" Soifon asked.

"Yeah, kind of." Yoruichi took another picture to show that she wasn't bored with the activity.

"We should probably head back anyway." Soifon sounded slightly disappointed. "After lunch, there should be enough time to develop the pictures. Soifon packed up her bag and the two headed off towards the Seireitei.

* * *

Yoruichi sighed contently as she sat at the table in Soifon's kitchen, her plate empty. It had become a custom for Soifon for to cook for them both. Soifon enjoyed cooking for the other woman, and Yoruichi seemed to enjoy the food, but it was difficult for Soifon to sneak her medication. Yoruichi always seemed to be watching her.

"Let's develop those pictures." Soifon said enthusiastically after the dished were clean. She grabbed the spent rolls from the top of her desk and walked over to the wall that was next to the entrance to her bedroom. She pushed on it and slid it to the side, reviling a pitch black room.

"Ooh! Secret rooms!" Yoruichi said, intrigued as to what else the room hid.

"It a dark room. There used to develop film." Soifon explained as she flipped a light switch.

Once inside, the door was closed. She handed Yoruichi a pair of rubber gloves and goggles. She donned her own and began to pour various bottle of liquid out into various trays. Once the trays were filled with the appropriate substances, she flipped another switch that changed the white light to a deep red. Yoruichi watched Soifon began the incomprehensible work of developing the pictures. After about an hour of work which Yoruichi was no help in, Soifon emptied the trays and took off her gloves. The pictures where hung up by clothes pins on string suspend form the ceiling.

"Now what?" Yoruichi asked, taking off her own safety equipment.

"We wait." They exited the dark room. Once outside, they just sat on the sofa and passed the time by talking. Soifon informed Yoruichi of all the various shortcomings of her troops and Yoruichi listened intently. She wasn't really interested, but she liked not having to pry words from her mouth. Soifon looked at the clock after a while and stood up. It was evening outside now.

"They should be done." Soifon entered the dark room and grabbed the pictures from the lines. She exited and placed them on her desk so they could see them in better light. She handed Yoruichi her pictures and took Yoruichi's to look at.

Yoruichi was completely astounded at the quality of pictures. Not one of them were out of focus or blurry. Looking at them made her feel bad about her own pictures. Soifon began to flip through Yoruichi's photos. Except the first one, which was close-up of her with her eyes squinted from the flash, they weren't half bad.

"These are pretty good for your first time." Soifon continued to flip through the pictures. "You just need to work on focusing and keeping the camera…ste…ady." Soifon's voice trailed off as she came across a zoomed in, perfectly focused shot of her rear as she bent over her bag. "What's this?" Yoruichi turned around to see Soifon, blushing a very deep red, holding the picture she took of her when she bent over.

"You said to take pictures." Yoruichi explained innocently.

"But I didn't expect you to take a picture of this!" Soifon's voice's pitch jumped.

"What?" Yoruichi shrugged. Soifon pointed the picture. "You have a cute butt."Even though it didn't seem possible, Soifon's faces redden even more. After they finished looking through the photos, Soifon put Yoruichi's in an envelope and handed them to her.

"I really hate to cut this visit short, but I have to clean up in there," she pointed to the dark room, "and get ready for tomorrow." She showed Yoruichi to the door. "The day after I'm off is always the hardest."

"I really had fun today, Soi." Yoruichi turned around before Soifon could slide the door shut. "I'm so glad that you can finally treat me as a friend rather than a master." Soifon blushed, unable to respond. "So, see you next month?"

"Y..yeah." Soifon stuttered. Yoruichi waved goodbye and walked of, wondering if she had a picture frame lying around.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

I can write other characters besides Yoruichi and Soifon, you know.

* * *

Urahara sat out front of Urahara Shoten, fanning himself as the afternoon sun gradually raised the temperature. Things were not going as smoothly as he had hoped they would on his latest and greatest breakthrough, so he decided to take a break and get some fresh air. Lost in thought, he didn't notice a young Shinigami touchdown in front of him until he spoke.

"Kiuske Urahara?" The boy asked.

"That would be me." Urahara answered in his usual, casual tone.

"I have been ordered to deliver this to you." He handed a sealed envelope to him and gave him a short bow before taking his leave. On the envelope was the insignia of the First Division. Figuring that it was probably something important, Urahara decided that it would be best to open it inside.

Seated in front of the table where he normal took his meals, Urahara carefully broke the seal of the envelope. Inside it was a single sheet of paper. It was a hand written letter.

_Kiuske Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin, _

_To commemorate the one year anniversary of the defeat of Sosuke Aizen, there will be a festival held within the Seireitei. This festival will be open to the public as well as Shinigami. Due to your service to the Gotie 13 during the War, I felt it was appropriate to personal ensure that you are invited. The festivities will be help on the 16th of this month and will take place all through the day. Those in the Gotie 13 will be released a five o'clock to join the celebration. _

_Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto-sotaicho._

"What have you got there?" Urahara looked up from the letter at the sound of Yoruichi's voice.

"It appears to be an invitation to some kind-of celebration." He handed the letter to her.

"To commemorate the one year anniversary of Aizen's defeat, huh." Yoruichi read aloud. "You plan on going?"

"I don't see why not." Urahara sipped some tea. "I haven't been out of the house in a while and it would be rude of me to turn down a hand-written invitation."

"Yeah. There's no point in showing up until five though." Yoruichi handed him the letter back. "Nobody we know will be around until then."

"I suppose so." Urahara rose. "Well, I'm going back down to the workshop. Holler if you need anything." Urahara finished off his tea and left.

Despite Yoruichi's calm and measured reaction, she was actually quite excited to hear about the festival. Soifon's day off had already come and gone, so this festival was just another opportunity for Yoruichi to spend time with her.

However, Yoruichi's excitement was tempered with anxiousness. Even though Soifon was opening up to her more and treating her more like a friend since she had officially released her from her service, Yoruichi sense that she had reached something of a barrier. Whenever Yoruichi started to get close to Soifon, closer than a friend would get, whether it be physically or emotionally, Soifon would try desperately to put as much space between them as possible.

Yoruichi was almost certain Soifon had feelings for her. Her reflections and observations of the time she spent with her confirmed that. However, Yoruichi was also certain that Soifon wasn't picking up on her advances.

Maybe it was hundreds of years of military service. Soifon simply wasn't programmed to view and think about people and their actions romantically.

Perhaps it was that Soifon still felt herself to be "inferior" and "unworthy." While Soifon technically held more power now than she did now, it is difficult to undo a mindset instilled since birth.

Possibly, Yoruichi was being more subtle than she thought she was. Urahara had always joked that he would never play cards with her.

Or maybe Soifon was just dense. Whatever the reason, Yoruichi resolved herself to lay her cards on the table at the festival.

For the first time in her life, Yoruichi found herself agonizing over the one question she swore to never spend more than five minutes on.

_What am I going to wear?_

_

* * *

_

"A festival?" Soifon said after reading the memo that Omeada brought to her. "What nonsense."

"Maybe, but attendance for all Captains and Lieutenants is mandatory." Omeada pointed out. Soifon read over the paper and fond that she had indeed skipped over that part. She scowled.

"There are much more important things for us to do than celebrate something that has already happened." Soifon crumpled up the paper and threw it into a nearby trash can.

"It's not like we have a choice in the matter, Taicho." Omeada reasoned. "You might as well try to make the best of it." A year ago, Soifon would have assaulted the man for such a comment, but the medication coursing through her veins dispelled those urges.

"Start the men on their training regiments' two hours earlier than usual." Soifon began to walk and Omeada followed. "I don't want to have to make up for lost time."

* * *

Urahara and Yoruichi stepped out of the Senkaimon and into the Rukongai. Even though it was close to five, the sun hadn't started it's decent behind the horizon. All around them, herds of people were all headed towards the Seireitei. They followed them.

Inside the Seireitei, the walls were lined with stalls that housed everything from food to souvenirs to games. In the main courtyard, a large mass of black-uniformed soldiers could be seen gathering. Within that mass, Yoruichi spotted a woman with short, blackish-blue hair in a white haori.

"SOIFON!" Yoruichi cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted at the top of her lungs. Urahara jumped in surprise at the sudden outburst. Soifon turned around to see Yoruichi smiling and waving at her to come over.

"Yoruichi?" Soifon said in surprise. She hadn't expected to see her here. Nor had she expected for her to be dressed like she was. Yoruichi was wearing a beautiful blue yukata that had an intricate floral pattern woven into it, tide at the waste with a red obi.

"What are you doing here?" Soifon asked in surprise. It was strange seeing her in something other than her usual black jumpsuit, but no unpleasant.

"Yamamoto invited us." Yoruichi answered.

"Hello their Soifon." Urahara tipped his hat. "It's been a while."

"Indeed." Soifon replied curtly. Despite the numerous times that Yoruichi had explained the circumstances behind her departure and reassured her that her relationship with Urahara was similar to that between siblings, Soifon couldn't stop the contempt from seething within her. She restrained herself for Yoruichi's sake.

"So, what's going on?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yamamoto-sotaicho is supposed to make some sort of announcement or speech soon." Almost as if on cue, the loud bang of Ryujin Jakka on stone was heard through the court yard. All eyes fell on Yamamoto.

"Greetings," He began is his gruff, booming voice. "I am glad that so many of you chose to partake in this evening's festivities."

"As you all are aware, today is the one year anniversary of the defeat of Sosuke Aizen and his Arrancar." He paused as everyone crowded closer to him. "Much had to be sacrificed for the peace that we now enjoy. Let us observe a moment of silence for those comrades who gave their lives in its purist and defense." There was silence. Some bowed their heads, while others stood there, awkwardly waiting for Yamamoto to continue.

"However, tonight is a celebration. Do not dwell upon the dead, but do not forget them." There was shuffling in the crowd as the tension of the moment was released. "I would like to make one last announcement before I release you all." The crowd's attention refocused on him.

"As you all know, the battles of the past War were some of the fiercest that this institution have ever experienced." There were nods or agreement. "Even I was greatly taxed in my skirmishes. That is why I have decided to begin the process of resigning from the Captaincy of the First Division." Gasps of shock and murmurs were heard through the crowd. Even Soifon, who had stood impassively through the rest of the speech, now took notice. "It is time that I pass the torch to the next generation."

"I will keep you no longer." Yamamoto banged Ryujin Jakka on the ground again to announce that he was finished. "Do not let my resignation dampen your spirits. It will still be quite some time before you all are rid of me." A chuckle rippled through the crowd and Yamamoto exited.

"Wow, the old man is retiring." Urahara said as the crowd dispersed.

"I never thought any of us would see the day." Yoruichi remarked. "So, what do we do now? " Yoruichi now found herself in a predicament. She wanted to be with Soifon, but she hadn't exactly told Urahara about her plans. She didn't want to just abandon him, but she knew that she wouldn't get anywhere with Soifon with him around.

"Well well well well, look who came to grace us with his presence." The three of them turned around. In front of them stood Mayuri Kurotsuchi, tapping his pharaoh-like "beard" with his long middle finger-nail. Close behind him was his "daughter" Nemu. "I thought it was the Onmitsukido's job to apprehend criminals." He said contemptuously, his gaze darting between Urahara and Soifon. Soifon opened her mouth to speak, but Urahara answered first.

"Actually, Yamamoto himself invited me here." He said, never ceasing his grinning. Mayuri retorted, but Yoruichi wasn't listening. Blessing her luck, she rolled her eyes in an overly dramatic fashion.

"Come one Soi." She hooked her arm under Soifon's lightly and led her away from the two men.

"Where are we going?" Soifon asked as Yoruichi pulled her along.

"Away from them," She pointed at the scientist. "Whenever those two are together, everything becomes a pissing contest." It was true, but it also made for a convenient excuse to get away from Urahara. Yoruichi noticed that Soifon was starting to fall behind, probably trying to get her to let go. Instead, Yoruichi slowed down and placed her free hand on Soifon's bicep. She could feel the muscle tense and harden through the fabric.

"Hey, isn't this your prosthetic?" Yoruichi asked as she squeezed the hard muscle.

"Y…yes it is." Soifon stammered, her face reddening from the attention.

"It feels just like a real arm." She had felt it before, but that had been more of a perfunctory inspection.

"It's made out of a synthetic muscle tissue that behaves just like real muscle tissue." Soifon was having trouble pinpointing the right word to describe how such intimate contact with Yoruichi was making her feel, but it wasn't "uncomfortable." She was more confused than anything.

Yoruichi had always been accessible, but distant. Recently, though, she had been acting strange, stranger than before. Ever since their fishing trip, Yoruichi not only wanted to know more intimate details about her personal life, but she also used every excuse and opportunity to make physical contact. It was baffling to Soifon.

"That's amazing." Yoruichi could sense Soifon's discomfort, so she removed her hand.

"As much as I hate to say it, I owe Kurotsuchi." Soifon relaxed a little as the hand left her arm, but she also felt a little disappointed. They continued to walk leisurely along until Yoruichi suddenly stopped in front of a booth.

It was a game; a large wooden board covered in balloons varying in size from large to tiny. There was a cup of darts from which individuals could be purchased to throw at the balloons. On the walls of the booth were various different prizes, grouped according to the size and color of balloon one needed to pop in order to win one. One in particular caught Yoruichi's eye. It was a plushy that seemed to be a combination of a bear and a rabbit; with a large round, body and big, floppy ears.

"I want one." Yoruichi wasn't prone to such childish fits often, but when they struck, they were powerful. Seeing an opportunity, her mind formulated a plan. "Win one for me Soi."

"Win one for you?" Soifon asked, very confused. Yoruichi never asked anyone to do something she could do herself.

"Please?" Yoruichi pouted.

"It seems to be a rather simplistic game. It should be no problem for you." Soifon reasoned obliviously.

"That's not the point." Yoruichi said frustrated. "It's not whether I can win it; it's whether you would win it for me."

"What's it matter who wins it, the prize is the same." Soifon was utterly flabbergasted at Yoruichi's behavior. Yoruichi stamped her foot and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Good evening, ladies." It was Shunsui, dressed in his usual flamboyant attire and carrying a bottle of sake. "Soifon-san," he greeted. "Yoruichi-san, you're looking lovely, as always." He flirted.

"Thank you." She noticed Soifon's expression darken as she accepted the complement.

"So, what's with all the commotion?" He had heard the tail end of their conversation.

"Soi's being difficult and won't win me that." She pointed to the rabbit-bear.

"Come one Soifon-san, it's just a dart game." He teased.

"Exactly, she doesn't need me to do it for her." Shunshi chuckled. He always suspected that women didn't even understand women.

"Anyway, can I bother either of you for a drink?" He asked cordially.

"No thank you." Soifon answered flatly.

"No thanks, you know I'm a lush." Yoruichi jokingly declined.

"That's why I'm trying to get you started early." Shunshi laughed and went about his way, calling for his "Nanao-chan."

"Please Soi?" Yoruichi turned back to Soifon and gave her her best puppy-dog eyes.

"Fine." Soifon acquiesced. She didn't understand what was going on, but she didn't want to deny Yoruichi something she seemed to want so badly. She walked up to the vendor.

"Come to win your lady-friend a prize, eh?" The man asked.

"Give me a dart." She traded to currency for the projectile.

"Just one? You're a confident one." He goaded. "Let's see how good the Shinigami's aim is." He stepped aside. Soifon effortless threw the dart into the center of the smallest balloon.

"We have a winner." He declared to no one in particular. "I expected no less from the fearsome Shinigami. Come pick your prize." Soifon waved Yoruichi over. She pointed to the bear-rabbit and the man took it off the hook and gave it to her. As they walked away, Yoruichi hugged it to her chest tightly.

"Thank you, Soi." Then, in a fit of impish daring, she leaned in and gave Soifon a kiss on the check.

Soifon's heart would have stopped had it not heeded to go into overdrive to pump all the blood in her body to her face.

"I..you…was..." Soifon was unable to form a coherent sentence. Yoruichi was unable to keep a giggle from escaping her lips. That only made Soifon more flustered.

The two women continued to wander the festival. It was getting late and Soifon, having finally regained her composure, suggested that they get something to eat. They came across a kebob stall got themselves some. Shortly after they finished their meal, a loud explosion was heard above them. They looked up to see a cascade of red sparkles falling.

"A firework?" Soifon asked.

"It must be Kukaku." Yoruichi answered. "She always sets off one to get everyone's attention. The real shows about to begin soon." She pointed to a nearby rooftop. "We could see it better from up there."

"True." Soifon agreed. Effortlessly, Soifon jumped to the roof. Yoruichi did not follow.

"What are you doing?" Yoruichi shouted.

"What are you doing?" Soifon shouted back.

"I can't jump like that dressed like this." Yoruichi pointed to her yukata. "You'll have to carry me."

"Carry?" Soifon responded incredulously. This night was getting stranger and stranger.

"Yes, as in come-back-down-and-pick-me-up." Soifon jumped back down. Awkwardly, she picked Yoruichi up bridal style and carried her to the roof. Setting her down, they both took a seat. Soifon leaned back with her hands spread apart to support herself. It took the strain off her neck. They watched the firework display in silence.

Yoruichi couldn't ask for a better situation. Here they were, alone, on a relatively secluded rooftop, watching an amazing firework show on a beautiful night. Summoning her courage, she gently placed her hand on Soifon's, only to have Soifon violently jerk it away. Soifon turned to Yoruichi when she heard her start to laugh. It was a tense, wry laugh.

"Is something funny?" Soifon asked.

"Yes," She answered, "I am." She stopped laughing. "I thought that you were interested in me, so I came here all dolled up and not only did you not notice, but in the most romantic situation I could possibly come up with, you can't stand to be touched by me." Yoruichi got up and turned her back to Soifon, who sat there, completely dumbstruck; her mind seizing up as Yoruichi's word entered it. "I'm such an idiot."

Soifon literally could not believe what she was hearing. Yoruichi, the Goddess of Flash, the most confident and self assured person she ever met, was calling herself an idiot because of _her_ actions.

"No you're not." Soifon automatically reassured her as she stood up.

"It's okay. I'm able to admit mistakes. We can just pretend like none of this ever happened and things can go back to the way they were." Yoruichi said sadly. She picked up the rabbit-bear and started to walk off.

"Wait!' Soifon called out. Yoruichi stopped and turned around, her face hopeful. Soifon fumbled for a moment, then found her voice. "I did notice that you got dressed up." She began timidly. "I wanted to say something, but I thought I would be inappropriate."

"Inappropriate?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yeah, because…" Soifon became bashful. "You know..."

"Soi, it's only inappropriate if one of us doesn't want it." Yoruichi watched Soifon's face as her timid expression turned to one of utter amazement. Soifon's mouth became dry and her breath became short as her mind finally processed everything that Yoruichi had said. She tried to talk, to respond, but she was unable to find words.

"You don't have to say anything." Yoruichi closed the distance between them and gave her a chastise kiss. When eventually she broke the kiss, Soifon ran a hand through her hair and began to pace.

"There are so many things wrong with this." She muttered. She stopped her pacing when she felt Yoruichi's hands encircle her waist from behind. She was acutely aware of the woman; her breast pressed against her back and her breath on her neck.

"I know that there will be some difficulties," Yoruichi knew that Soifon still wasn't quite over the past and her status as nobility only complicated matters, "But I never do things that I don't think will eventually turn out for the best." She walked around Soifon so she was facing her.

"Please," She rested her forehead of Soifon's. "I want to give this a shot." She kissed her again, this time with more passion. To her surprise, Soifon rested her hands on her hips and returned the kiss, almost dominating it.

"I take that as a yes?" Yoruichi asked after they broke the kiss. She was amazed at how good a kisser Soifon was, but didn't want to ruin the moment by admitting she had low expectations.

"Yeah," Soifon almost whispered. It was all she could do to keep herself from bearing her soul to the woman. Yoruichi was just "giving this a shoot," she hadn't said she loved her. Soifon picked Yoruichi up and carried her back down.

"I'd better go find Urahara, it's getting late." Yoruichi said once she was back on the ground. She knew that Soifon was probably still to shocked to speak, so she didn't take her silence personally. "I'll see you later." She gave her a quick kiss and walked off, leaving Soifon to contemplate how she hadn't even wanted to come to the festival in the first place.


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

The next chapter starts the real "meat" of the story.

* * *

It took about three days for the reality of what happened at the festival to fully hit Soifon.

She had been filling out requisition forms at her desk when it happened. It was a bright and sunny day outside, with puffy white clods wafting through the air. Her mind turned to Yoruichi and what she would have to say about her staying "all cooped up" on a day like today.

Then, her thoughts in Yoruichi, she drifted back to the festival. The words and kisses they shared began to replay themselves vividly in her mind.

A mixture of emotions began to well up inside her as her breath quickened and her mouth dried, just as they had on that night. There was the usual shock, confusion, and happiness, but the strongest was fear. That Yoruichi wanted to engage in a relationship with her truly frightened her. Emotional intimacy was something wholly new to Soifon, let alone with the woman who she had pined for most of her life.

What scared her most, however, was the thought was failure. She loved Yoruichi, but Yoruichi didn't love her. Yoruichi was just "giving her a shot." What if, after spending more time around her, Yoruichi realized that she didn't want her? What if her own "instabilities" drove Yoruichi away?

Soifon wasn't sure if she could handle loosing Yoruichi again, and she was terrified to find out what would happen if she did.

* * *

Yoruichi was always someone who kept an even keel. She was never exorbitantly happy nor was she ever excessively morose. It wasn't that she didn't have emotions, but that she saved them for situations that merited them.

That's why her perpetual smirk was a little disturbing to Urahara.

"You've been unusually cheery lately. Care to share?" He asked one day during lunch. It was just the two of them. Tessai was out getting groceries and Ururu and Jinta were outside playing.

"Well…" Yoruichi began. She knew this was going to come up eventually, but she didn't know why she had stressed over it so much. Kiuske was family. "I'm kind-of seeing someone now." She ended almost bashfully.

"Really?" Urahara was glad that his hat was covering his eyes. "Who finally managed to snare the elusive cat?" Yoruichi had been single for as long as Urahara had known her. He had just assumed that she wasn't the type to "go steady." He had told himself many times that she wasn't the type to.

"Soifon." Yoruichi answered through a mouthful of food.

"Soifon?" He asked with as much curiosity as shock. "I didn't know that there was anything in that girl to love." He hoped his joking tone would cover up the fact that it was how he actually felt.

"Stop it." Yoruichi waved off the jest. There was a silence between them, one whose comfort depended on perspective.

"So, does this mean that our Yoruichi has been a gyneatrope all this time?" Urahara asked, unsure of how he wanted the question answered.

"A What!" Yoruichi had no idea what that word meant, but it didn't sound good.

"It means lesbian." Urahara answered. "I'm bringin' it back."

Yoruichi had questioned that herself. She couldn't remember ever enjoying the time she spent with the boys that "courted" her, but those hadn't been her choice. On the other hand, it was probably significant that the first person she had pursued romantically, had thought about sexually, was a woman.

"I guess," Yoruichi answered. "If you so intent on labeling me."

"I'm a scientist, that's half of what we do." He refilled her glass with tea.

"What's the other half?" Yoruichi asked.

"Making new things to label." Yoruichi smiled at how nonchalantly Urahara was taking this. She didn't know why she expected anything different, though. Yoruichi wondered how Soifon had acted the first time she "came out" to someone.

_I wonder what she's doing now._ Yoruichi mused. _She's probably trapped behind her desk and a mountain of paperwork. _Yoruichi snickered slightly at the image of Soifon sitting in her chair, literally covered in papers.

_That chair is so uncomfortable…_

_

* * *

_

Soifon was woken from her sleep by knocking at her door. She had finished the afternoon's paperwork and decided to take a nap on the sofa before the evenings training session. Grumbling irritably, she slid the shoji to the side.

"What?" She said crankily to the man who knocked. She recognized him from the furniture store Yoruichi took her to.

"I…I have a delivery for Soifon-taicho." He stuttered. He had heard stories about the Commander-and-Chief of the Onmitsukido and her current disposition wasn't helping matters.

"That's me, but I didn't order anything." Confusion overrode annoyance.

"Perhaps this will explain things." He handed her a folded piece of paper. "I was instructed to give that to you with this." He wheeled into her sight an expensive looking office chair, covered in leather cushions. Already knowing who it was from, she signed for it and took it into her quarters. She replaced her old wooden chair with the new and took a seat. It was very comfortable. The shape of the back was supportive and the cushions didn't hurt her rear. She unfolded the paper. It was a note in Yoruichi's sloppy hand writing.

_You make the plans this time _

_It doesn't have to be anything major or fancy_

_Try not to wait until your day off, if you can_

_Plans!_ Soifon panicked_. I can't make those types of plans! _But she couldn't rely on Yoruichi to do everything either. As much as the thought sickened her, she was going to have to get help.

* * *

Nanao Ise sat at her Captain's desk, though it was a stretch to call it that as he literally never spent any time behind it. She was so absorb in the backlog of paperwork that she didn't notice that someone had entered the room until they here right in front of her.

"Soifon-taicho, how can I help you?" She greeted her friendlily. Their time together in the Shinigami Women's Association had taught Nanao that, while not a woman to be trifled with, Soifon wasn't someone to be inherently feared.

"I need to speak to your Captain. Where is he?" Soifon toned down the usual authoritativeness she spoke with.

"The same place he always is; in his quarters, sitting around drinking while I do all the real work." She pointed at the man's quarters. Leaving Nanao to her papers, Soifon slid the shoji to the side cautiously, unsure of the sight that would greet her.

"Soifon-san?" Shunsui was lounging on a porch like area attached to his quarters. He stood to great his guest. "Come in." He waved her in and offered her a seat at his tea table. Soifon accepted the offer and he sat across from her.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Shunsui took out several bottles and cups and placed them on the table. He poured her some tea and some sake for himself.

"I need you assistance in an area that falls outside of my expertise." Soifon said, doing her best to stay professional.

"What help can a man such as myself possible offer to such an accomplished woman as you?" He flirted needlessly, knowing full well that his efforts were wasted. Old habits are hard to break. Soifon breathed deeply, trying to find the correct combination of words to ask her question.

"What is an appropriate course of action for a romantic rendezvous with a woman?" Soifon was proud of herself for having kept her composure.

"That's an awful fancy way to ask what to do on a date." Shunsui laughed. Soifon look less than amused. Realizing that he was going to have to take the situation seriously, Shunsui got a little serious himself. "Well, what to do really depends on a lot of things."

"Such as?" Soifon had hoped she would have gotten an answer by now.

"Such as how long you and Yoruichi have been seeing each other." Soifon spat out her tea. "I take it that it's not very long, seeing is how you're asking for my help on something so basic."

"H..how…?" Soifon stuttered.

"Please! I saw you two at the festival, and anyone else who did would have guessed that same." He leaned back and supported himself on his free hand; the other raised his cup to his mouth. "I may be lazy, but I'm not stupid."

"Any way," Shunsui picked back up. "Dinner is always a safe bet. There's this real nice place called _Ike Niyotte Gatsu Raiton_. It's in District One East." Soifon nodded in acknowledgment.

"Thank you for your time and help." Soifon rose. "I trust you not to go around telling everyone about my personal life." Shunsui pinched his index finger and thumb together and dreg them across his mouth, mimicking the action of zipping something up.

"Oh!" Shunsui called out before Soifon was out of the room. "Word to the wise: make reservations."

* * *

Tessai was outside, sweeping the porch of the shop when a Shinigami seemingly appeared out of nowhere in front of him.

"How may I help you?" Tessai greeted more cheerfully then he normally would have. The man was wearing the uniform of the Onmitsukido.

"I have a message to deliver to Yoruichi Shihoin." He produced an envelope from one of the inner pockets of his uniform.

"She's inside; I'll take it to her." Tessai help out his hand.

"I have been expressly ordered to deliver this to Yoruichi Shihoin only." Tessai frowned.

"Very well." He entered the shop and Yoruichi came out a few moments later, wearing the bustier and panties that she normally wore when the situation called for clothing but she didn't feel like getting fully dressed.

"What's this all about?" Yoruichi asked groggily. She had been napping.

"I have a message to give you." He handed her the envelope and disappeared. Yoruichi returned to her bed and opened the envelope. As she expected, it was a not in Soifon's immaculate handwriting.

_Yoruichi,_

_I have reserved us a table at Ike Niyotte Gatsu Raitoin, a restaurant in District One East. Meet me there at 7 O'clock on the 23rd. I have sent you a copy of their dress code, since it appears that they enforce it strictly. I look forward to seeing you. _

_Soifon_

Yoruichi laughed. She could almost imagine Soifon blushing as she wrote the last line.

The 23rd was only a few days away. Yoruichi was happy that she was going to get to see her again so soon.

Unfolding the second piece of paper, Yoruichi began looking over the dress code for the restaurant.

_This place looks fancy_. Yoruichi thought as she read the paper. _And expensive…_

_

* * *

_

Yoruichi say on a bench across the street from _Ike Niyotte Gatsu Raitoin. _She was wearing an orange silk yaukata. It seemed nice enough to meet the restaurant's standards.

Sighing, Yoruichi looked up and down the nearly empty streets. It was ten after seven and Yoruichi was beginning to worry. Soifon was a very punctual person. Off in the distance, a figure began walking towards her hurriedly.

"I'm so sorry Yoruichi!" Yoruichi was relieved when she realized it was Soifon. "I left early, but this dress constricts my movements and made it difficult to sneak out of the base." Yoruichi was shocked to see Soifon in a tight, red, short sleeve Cheongsam. The dress clung to her form very flatteringly and left her strong arms exposed.

"Why did you have to sneak out?" Yoruichi didn't want to get Soifon onto trouble.

"I didn't want any of my men to see me like this." Soifon blushed.

"Heaven forbid they find out that their Captain is a woman." Yoruichi laughed. Soifon frowned. "I'm just teasing. And besides, seeing you like this was well worth the wait." Soifon's blush deepened. Yoruichi leaned in to kiss Soifon, but Soifon turned her head and look a step back.

"Not here," She whispered. "There are too many people." Yoruichi frowned. "I'm not too late; our table should still be reserved for us." Yoruichi followed Soifon into the restaurant. They were greeted by the matradee.

"Can I help you?" He said, literally looking down his nose.

"I have a reservation." Soifon said as calmly as she could.

"Name." He demanded.

"Soifon." She answered just as he asked.

"It says here that you reserved your table for seven O'clock." He said disparagingly as he looked at the clock. "Fortunately for you, today has been rather slow, so I believe your table is still available." He walked off to check.

"Calm down Soi." Yoruichi could almost see the steam escaping her. "He's just doing his job."

"Yeah, but he doesn't have to be such a-" Soifon stopped herself as he reentered the lobby.

"Please follow me." He said more politely now that they were paying customers. They were led to their table and took their seat. "Your waiter will be with you shortly." He handed them menus and took his leave.

"This place has a nice atmosphere." Yoruichi said while she looked around. The lighting was low, with the only light coming from lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The entire restaurant was decorated with expensive artifacts and pieces of art. "How did you find out about this place?"

"Shunsui recommended it to me." Soifon said as she opened her menu.

"Bet he's been here often." Yoruichi laughed as she scanned the choice of foods. Several moments later, their waitress showed up.

"What will you two be dining on this evening?" She asked perkily.

"I'll have…" Yoruichi paused for a moment. "The sashimi."

"And to drink?" She wrote on her pad.

"Gyokuro." Yoruichi handed her the menu.

"And what will you be having?" She turned to Soifon.

"Gyoza and oolong." Soifon responded efficiently.

"Would you like the meat, fish, or vegetable gyoza?" She asked.

"Fish." Soifon answered with the fewest words possible.

"And do you want them steamed of fried?" She asked.

"Steamed." Soifon handed her the menu.

"Your order should be ready shortly." The waitress left. They sat there in silence. Soifon could feel Yoruichi's eyes on her. Unable to control the flow of her blood, she started blushing.

"What?" Yoruichi asked playfully.

"Your…your staring." Soifon stammered.

"Well, you look exceptionally nice this evening." Soifon blushed even more. "You should show off you feminine side more often." The complements almost seemed to make Soifon shrink. "Don't get me wrong, the tomboy thing works for you, but you shouldn't be afraid to strut your stuff every once in a while."

"Thank you." Soifon was still blushing. "You look nice too."

"Thank you." Yoruichi smiled.

"Oh!" Soifon remembered. "Thank you for the chair. It's very comfortable."

"It was no problem." Yoruichi smiled. "I couldn't stand the thought of you spending so much time in that awful chair anymore."

"I made sure that the chair was desponded of properly. Yoruichi laughed as her mind formulated an image of Soifon blowing up the old chair with shunko.

The waitress returned with their food. She placed a large platter of sliced fish in front of Yoruichi and a platter of dumplings in front of Soifon. She filled their cups with tea and left them the bottles.

"If you need anything, let me know." She left them to their food.

"This all looks so good!" Yoruichi exclaimed before she dug in. Soifon started into her own food, but at a slower pace. "You mind if I try one?" Yoruichi pointed at one of the dumplings.

"No." Soifon raised the plate, offering them. Yoruichi took one.

"There good too." Yoruichi was surprised. They hadn't sounded that appetizing on the menu. "You want to try some?" She pointed to the fish. Soifon took some.

"It's good." Soifon said after she swallowed. "It almost makes up for how that guy treated me."

"Almost?" Yoruichi cocked an eyebrow.

"Almost." Soifon confirmed. They continued to eat there meal in the same fashion, sharing each other's food as they talked about the events of their lives that took place in the short space between their last meeting.

When the check came, Soifon insisted on paying. Yoruichi let her. While she wasn't looking, Yoruichi slipped a more generous tip onto the table.

"That was delicious." Yoruichi said as they left the restaurant. It was dark on the streets were empty. As they walked towards the Seireitei, Yoruichi grabbed Soifon's hand, lacing their fingers together.

Soifon's heart skipped a beat as everything became real to her for the second time. She was actually holding hands with Yoruichi. She felt so exposed, showing such affection in public. They walked together in silence, simply enjoying the closeness of each other.

"Well, the Senkaimon opens down that way." Yoruichi spoke as they reached a crossroad.

"And the Seireitei is down that way." Soifon pointed down a perpendicular road.

"I guess this is good-bye for tonight." Yoruichi said disappointedly. "I really had a good time. I didn't think you were the type to take a girl to a romantic restaurant."

"There are a lot of things I didn't even know about myself until recently." Soifon said a seriously. "I think it would be fair if you made the plans next time." Her voice suddenly took on a playful tone.

"Yeah, that sounds fair enough." Yoruichi agreed. Soifon looked up and down the streets. Satisfied that there was no one around to see them, she gave Yoruichi a short kiss.

"I'll see you later." Soifon turned and left.

"Yeah… later." Yoruichi waved. She was amazed at how natural kissing Soifon felt. She didn't have to force herself to endure like she had with the boys that had kissed her.

_Damn it_, Yoruichi whined in her head. _I think Kiuske was right…again…_


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

This chapter marks a drastic thematic and tonal shift in the story. I am telling you this in advance because I don't want you to feel like the story has "jumped the shark." Everything before was leading up to this.

Even though this fic is rated "M," I feel obligated to inform you that this chapter as strong language and sexual content.

* * *

The next year passed like a whirlwind for Soifon. It had taken her quite some time to adjust to the new relationship, but once she did, she found herself to be quite comfortable. There were still times where she found herself questioning the reality of the situation, but they became fewer and fewer as time progressed.

In the beginning, they went on several formal "dates," but they both found them tiresome and they eventually fell back into the way they spent their time before. Yoruichi would show up on her day off and they would spend the day together doing whatever they pleased. Sometimes they would go back to the koi "pond" and fish, and other times they would simply lounge together on the love seat, talking away the hours.

Yoruichi didn't limit her time with Soifon to the days she took off. She would show up intermittently and unannounced. She wouldn't stay long, just long enough for lunch or a few words, but she enjoyed the short rendezvous just the same.

At first, Yoruichi had been a little put off by Soifon's behavior in public. She never showed any affection while there were others around, and it took her a great deal of scouting before she felt comfortable enough to give her the smallest token of affection in a public area.

Behind closed doors, however, was a different story. While Yoruichi found it strange that Soifon never initiate, she was happy to find that she was more than willing to reciprocate. Yoruichi eventually came to accept this. Soifon is a very private person, and she didn't want to make her uncomfortable just because she found herself to be rather "touchy."

"You seemed troubled." Unohana began the session. "Is something the matter?"

"No," Soifon answered in reflex. "Well…" She hesitated. "Yoruichi is a very physically affectionate person. She enjoys kissing and touching. And I do too." She blushed. "But whenever I'm with her, my body isn't… responding… like it should."

"I see." Unohana scribbled some notes.

"I something wrong with me?" Soifon laughed wryly. "Well, that's obvious. Am I not attracted to Yoruichi anymore?" She asked desperately. That idea terrified her.

"No, I don't think so." Unohana reassured. "The loss of libido is a common side-effect of most anti-depressants."

"So it's the pills?" Soifon said hopefully.

"Most likely." Unohana didn't want to say anything for certain. "Unfortunately, we are too far along on your treatment regiment to switch medications." Unohana took some more notes. "You need to communicate this to Yoruichi. I'm sure she will understand."

"Yes, I suppose your right." Soifon lied. She had no intentions of telling Yoruichi about anything that had to do with her "breakdown." The last thing she wanted was for her to think she was crazy.

Soifon hated how easy it was becoming to lie to the two women.

* * *

The Senkaimon opened up in the same place that it always did in Rukongai. Stepping out of the gate, Yoruichi headed for the Seireitei with a little extra bounce in her step.

"OI!" Yoruichi spun around to see Kukaku Shiba sitting on a bench behind her. "Just how long did you think you could keep sneaking back here before I found out?" She stood up and walked towards Yoruichi.

"Well, it's going on…" Yoruichi began sarcastically.

"You always think you have all the answers." Despite her words, Kukaku smiled at her old friend. "Anyways, you," She pointed at Yoruichi, "are coming with me," she pointed at herself, "for a drink." Kukaku didn't ask, she demanded.

"I can't." Yoruichi lamented. "I'm supposed to meet Soi-" Kukaku cut her off.

"You can see her anytime." Kukaku waved off the protest.

"I can see _you_ anytime." Yoruichi countered.

"Yeah, but you haven't been spotted smooching with me, now have you?" Kukaku smiled triumphantly as an uncharacteristic blush spread across Yoruichi's face. She wasn't embarrassed that Kukaku knew about her and Soifon, but that someone had seen them when they thought they were alone.

"Come one." She put Yoruichi in a head lock and started walking. "I'm sure she won't mind if you're a little late. She's forgiven more."

* * *

Soifon looked at her clock. It was half-past eleven.

_That's odd_, Soifon thought. _She's usually here by now…_

_

* * *

_

Yoruichi sat with Kukaku in the main living space of her ludicrous abode. She poured Yoruichi a cup of sake and handed it to her.

"You know I'm a lightweight." Yoruichi tried to refuse, but Kukaku shoved the cup into her hand.

"Nonsense, were all friends here." She downed her own cup and refilled it as Yoruichi slowly drained hers. Kukaku lit her pipe.

"I thought you quite." Yoruichi said, not even attempting to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Opium. This is tobacco." Kukaku inhaled deeply from the pipe.

"Because that is soooo much better for you." Yoruichi rolled her eyes.

"Don't give me that shit." Kukaku tapped out some ashes. "Not everyone has to fight monsters while traveling half the speed of sound." Yoruichi let the matter drop. No one can change Kukaku Shiba's mind.

"So, how's life been treating you?" Yoruichi asked. It really has been quite a while since she had an opportunity to relax with her old friend. The last time she had seen her, the circumstances were less than ideal.

"Sameol' sameol'." Kukaku emptied another cup. "Been working on some new fireworks and keeping by dumbass brother out of trouble. How's life as a war hero?"

"Eh, about the same as life as a fugitive." Yoruichi cautiously drank the sake once she noticed Kukaku eying the full cup angrily.

* * *

_I guess I'll go and train for a bit_, Soifon thought sadly. _If I'm not back when she gets here, then too bad_, she added with a small amount of spite.

* * *

Yoruichi laughed hysterically at the story Kukaku told, even though it wasn't really all that funny. Her cheeks already had a red glow to them.

"Holy hell, you're already drunk." Kukaku laughed.

"I'm not drunk, I'm just really-really buzzed." Yoruichi freely offered her cup up for another refill. "I told you I was a lightweight. I don't have all that," She pointed to Kukaku's bust, "to absorb all the alc-e-hol."

"Don't eye my tits." Kukaku crossed her arms. "I know you have a thing for amputees, but I don't swing that way."

"Don't worry, I'm taken." It was the first time she had said that. It felt good. "You're not my type anyway." Kukaku's nose scrunched up as she drank another cup.

"So what's the deal, she good in the sack or something?" Yoruichi almost chocked on her sake.

"What do you mean, what's the deal?" Yoruichi asked.

"I figured there's got to be some reason why she's got _you_ going to _her_." Kukaku snickered at how flustered Yoruichi was getting.

"I'll have you know that I have not slept with her, or anyone, yet." Yoruichi said indignantly.

"That's bullshit!" Kukaku pointed violently. Yoruichi raised her right hand and placed her left over her heart.

"Gah!" Kukaku was at a loss for words. "I'm a one-armed alcoholic pyromaniac and I still get laid! What's your excuse?" Yoruichi opened her mouth, but Kukaku kept on. "Don't tell me you actually bought into all that abstinence bullshit you parents shoved down your throat."

"Kind-a, a lil'." Yoruichi help her thumb and index finger apart, indicating how much. "Is it wrong that I think sex should be more than two people fulfillin' their physical needs?" They were both surprised by the eloquence of the sentence.

Yoruichi had had a rather puritanical upbringing when it came to sex. Her mother had constantly reminded her that an impure bride would disgrace the clan. She had been taught to hide her body and be ashamed of it. Her nudist tendencies were a form of rebellion against her mother. Her time in the Human World had helped her replace the idea that sex was dirty and wrong with the romantic image of sex that was popular among humans.

"Okay, okay, fair enough." Kukaku relented. "But you're going steady with Soifon now, right? Why haven't you fucked 'er yet?" Yoruichi disliked that word, especially when it was used like that. It was so demeaning.

"I'm takin' things slooow." Yoruichi explained. "I really hurt her in the past."

"Slow!" Kukaku shouted, ignoring the last sentence. "How long have you known her?"

"Almos' all my life." Yoruichi did some calculations on her fingers. "But we've only been together for two years." She held up two fingers in Kukaku's face.

"So! I thought the whole reason people hooked up with friends is so they could skip past all that cutesy shit."

"Hey! I happen to like the cutesy stuff." She offered her here cup up for a refill, the jar was empty.

"GANJU!" Kukaku yelled. "GANJU GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!" Kukaku's brother came stumbling around the corner.

"What?" He asked while trying to clear the ringing from his ears with a finger.

"Get us some more sake." Kukaku ordered.

"Get you own damn sa-!" His mouth was shut by the empty jar that Kukaku threw at him with full force.

"Don't give me any lip! If it wasn't for me, you're sorry ass would be out on the streets!" Kukaku was still screaming. Ganju hurried off and returned with several bottles of the liquid. He handed them over and quickly escaped.

"Ingrate." Kukaku mumbled.

* * *

_Damnit damnit DAMNIT!_ Soifon's screamed in her head as she paced her quarters, feverishly rubbing her arms.

_I knew this would happen!_ It was a hollow victory. The ticking of the clock seemed louder than usual. _She's found someone else. She's realized she found do better and found someone else…_

_

* * *

_

"I really, I really have to get to Soi." Yoruichi slurred drunkenly.

"Alright fine, I see how it is." Kukaku voiced held mock hurt. Yoruichi stood, but stumbled gracelessly. "You sure you OK to travel?"

"I'll befine." Yoruichi slurred.

"If you say so." Kukaku shrugged as Yoruichi walked in a zigzag pattern to the door.

* * *

_Maybe something happened to her_, Soifon's mind switched gears yet again. It was already dark outside. _What if… _She was shaken out of her thoughts by a knocking at her door. She slid it open only to be greeted by Yoruichi's rosy face.

"Soi!" She said cheerfully before practically falling on her and giving her a sloppy kiss.

"Yoruichi!" Soifon gasped. "Where have you been?" She did her best to sound angry.

"I'm sorry Soi." Yoruichi sounded contrite. "I got kidnapped by Kukaku." They started walking towards the sofa, but Yoruichi stumbled. Soifon caught her before she hit the ground. Yoruichi started giggling uncontrollably.

"Sorry." She said between giggles. "Ima, Ima, Ima little drunk." She started laughing again. Soifon carried her to her sofa and put her on the end so she was propped up by the arm. With Yoruichi off her feet, Soifon turned to the kitchen.

"Soi!" Yoruichi whined, her arms stretched outward and her hands grasping at nothing. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to make you some food to take the edge off the alcohol." Soifon started boiling water and got out some rice. A few minutes later, she brought Yoruichi a large bowl of rice.

"There." She handed her the bowl and sat down next to her. "The rice should absorb some of the alcohol before it gets into your system." Yoruichi fumbled with the chop-sticks for a moment and started eating.

"Mmmm." She moaned contently. Still eating, she gently rested her head on Soifon's shoulder. "You're so good to me, Soi." Yoruichi inhaled deeply. Soifon smelled musky.

_She must have trained some today_, Yoruichi thought. Unlike most people, the smell of sweat and natural musk was a turn-on for Yoruichi. It was so natural and primal.

"I…it was nothing." Soifon stammered as Yoruichi kissed her on the cheek. She tasted salty from the sweat. Yoruichi liked it. Forgetting the bowl of rice, Yoruichi repositioned herself so she had better access to Soifon's mouth. She began kissing her fiercely, if a little clumsily. Soifon was taken by surprise at first, but she quickly started to return the kiss. Their tongues began to explore each other's mouths.

Spurred on by Kukaku's words and the courage that coursed through her vein, Yoruichi gently pushed Soifon back onto the couch and fell awkwardly on top of her. Repositioning herself, she straddled Soifon and continued to assault her mouth and neck with kisses. Her hands began to wander, drunkenly searching for skin that wasn't her own.

Soifon's mind was reeling. Yoruichi was on top of her, touching her and kissing her. It should be a thrilling, erotic experience, but her body was completely disinterested. Sure, the circumstances weren't ideal, but that was no excuse for how her body _wasn't_ acting.

_Those goddamn PILLS_! Soifon's mind raged. _I have to stop this_.

"Yoruichi," Soifon tried to get her attention, but her voice came out as a whisper.

Yoruichi had no idea what she was doing, but the desperation and need in Soifon's voice gave her the confidence to continue. Slipping her hands past Soifon's uniform, her hands made contact with the skin of her stomach.

"Yoruichi!" Soifon called out with more force as she squirmed, mashing their breast together.

Her heart pounding from the sound of her name, Yoruichi's hand began a slow, deliberate course southward. She want to see if Soifon was getting as excited as she was. Yoruichi smiled as Soifon squirmed when she reached the thin fabric of her panties. Her hand dipped under the barrier. Her fingers were tickled by finely trimmed, coarse hair.

Finally at her destination, Yoruichi kissed Soifon passionately as she plunged her fingers downward…

…and quickly withdrew them. She sat up, her eye's full of confusion. Soifon wasn't aroused, at all.

"Yoruichi...I" Soifon sat up, but Yoruichi dismounted her and fell on the floor.

"I should, I should go." Yoruichi stood up and rapidly exited the room, unable to endure the embarrassment of the situation any longer.

"Yoruichi please don't!" Soifon called out. Yoruichi ignored her and shut the shoji. Soifon fell back on to the couch. Much to her surprise, she started to laugh quietly. The laughter quickly turned to sobs.

_How could I let this happen!_ She screamed into her skull. The one thing she had wanted desperately for all of her adult life had been literally within her grasp, and she let it slip through her fingers. She stood up and walked to the cupboard that housed her medication. She removed the bottles.

_It's because of these_. She took the bottles into her bathroom and emptied them into the toilet.

_However much I may "need" these pills, I need Yoruichi more_. With crushing finality, she pulled down the lever and watched the blue and yellow dots circle and disappear.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

This chapter is shorter than the previous, but the next chapter will make up for that.

This chapter contains dark themes present in "Song of the Sad Assassin" and graphic violence.

* * *

The day's after Soifon disposed of her medications were not as eventful as she had anticipated. She felt largely the same as she had for the past two years. However, as the days progressed, the medication started work its way out of her system. She began to withdraw into herself more and more, the indifference she used to treat her troops with replaced with the antagonism of the past.

She also started eating less and less. At first, she just skipped a meal every once in a while, but eventually, she started going almost entire days without eating anything. Her weight began to drop and the constant hunger only amplified her foul mood.

All this hadn't gone unnoticed by those around her. Even though he was terrified to address the issue, Omaeda's concerns eventually got the better of him.

"Is something wrong, Taicho?" He asked after a particularly rough verbal assault on one of the new recruits that included unwarranted threats on the boy's life.

"Mind your own business." She snapped. "Even if there was something wrong, what makes you think that I would talk to _you_ about it?" She turned and left.

The truth was that there was something wrong. Yoruichi hadn't returned since their last disastrous evening together. Despite the fact that that was only three days prior, Soifon was beginning to wonder if Yoruichi was ever come back. Shaking those thoughts from her head, she dealt with this personal crisis the same way that she dealt with the rest that had occurred in her life; by burring her head in her work so she didn't have to think about it.

* * *

Yoruichi lay on her bed in Urahara Shoten, in human form, clutching the stuffed animal Soifon had one her at the festival to her chest tightly.

"Judging by how mopey you've been for the last few days, I'm guessing things didn't go so well with you and Soifon the other day." Urahara stood in the doorway. It was distressing seeing his friend go through so many emotional highs and lows, especially the lows.

"Does it ever get old, always being right?" Yoruichi turned around to face him.

"Not really. What happened?" As much as Urahara didn't want to hear about the intimate details of Yoruichi's relationship with the other woman, his friendship with the woman came first.

"Well…" Yoruichi recounted everything to him, from getting kidnapped by Kukaku to drunkenly fondling of Soifon.

"Whew," Urahara whistled. "That certainly would be awkward."

"Thanks for the input." Yoruichi quipped sarcastically.

"Just go talk to her, sort this out." Urahara said causally. It was a simple solution.

"How am I supposed to face her after what happened?" Yoruichi asked desperately.

"Well, first you both have to be in the same room…" Urahara fanned himself.

"That's not funny!" Yoruichi sat up angrily. "This is all new to me and I really need your help, or at least your support."

"What about this situation is new to you?" Urahara joked.

"Everything! The relationship, the sex," Yoruichi stopped. "Well, almost sex." She corrected.

"Whoa, whoa," Urahara held his palms up signaling her to stop. "You're kidding, right?"

"About what?" Yoruichi asked innocently.

"You mean you've never been in a relationship before?" Urahara looked at her skeptically. She nodded. "And that you're still a virgin?" She nodded again.

"Why does everyone react the same when they find out I'm not some soulless concubine that screws everything that comes into my field of vision?" Yoruichi fell back on her bed, exasperated.

"It's not that. I just have a hard time imagining that you've made it this far in your life without getting just a _little_ curious." Urahara still didn't believe her.

"It's not that I've never been curious, I just have a little something called self control." Yoruichi retorted condensedingly. "Besides, aren't you still a virgin?"

"Heavens no!" Urahara began fanning himself again.

"Since when?" There wasn't anything Yoruichi didn't know about Kiuske Urahara.

"We may have been attached at the hip back home, but you've been gone most of the time that we've been here." Urahara smiled mischievously. "I've done plenty of things you probably don't know about."

"Like what?" Yoruichi asked incredulously.

"I circumnavigated the world in a hot air balloon, for one." Yoruichi hadn't, in fact, known that. "Parisian women find me quite irresistible." Urahara answered her former question.

'Why did you…" Yoruichi started to ask.

"I'll tell you that story some other time. Right now, you've got some explaining to do. Get yourself dressed." She wasn't nude, but the oversized t-shirt she was wearing was hardly something that should be worn out of the house, "while I get the Senkaimon open. The worst thing you could possibly do in this situation is let things simmer."

Yoruichi sighed and complied. When she had asked for his help, she hadn't expected to actually get it.

* * *

Soifon restlessly paced the observation deck of the training grounds. There wasn't anything important going on, but Soifon found it difficult to focus. She stopped taking her medication about a week ago and she was beginning to wonder if that had been a wise decision. She was constantly restless and irritable, and her constant state of hunger didn't help matters.

Time also seemed to be moving slower than normal. For Soifon, time had always moved smoothly and relentlessly forward. Now, each day seemed to drag on for twice as long as it should. The days, a drop of sand in the hour glass of one who lives for as long as a Shinigami, felt like years.

She couldn't go to Unohana and ask for more pills. Her prescription wasn't up for another two months and she was afraid of what would happen to her once Unohana found out why she ran out so early.

Soifon was so absorb in her chaotic thoughts that she hadn't heard Yoruichi come up behind her.

"Soi?" It was a question, not a greeting. Soifon turned around. "Hey." Yoruichi tried to smile, but it looked forced, and she sounded timid and nervous.

"Yoruichi." However irrational the thought was, Soifon hadn't expected to her again. She assumed she would find someone else who could "perform" for her. Despite how almost ecstatic Soifon was to see her again, she couldn't make her voice show any emotion and her body do anything but clench and unclench her right hand.

"Do you have a minute?" It was a question again. Whenever Yoruichi wanted something, she took it. Rarely did she ask for permission. Her behavior was disturbing Soifon.

"I'm sorry, but…" Soifon started to turn around, unable to stand the look in Yoruichi's eyes, but a hand grabbed her wrist.

"Please Soi." It was a desperate plea. "Just a minute."

"Fine." Soifon screamed at herself to put some feeling in her voice.

* * *

Yoruichi and Soifon stood in Soifon's quarters. Yoruichi made her way to the sofa, but Soifon didn't follow, so she stood with the other woman instead.

"What is this about?" Soifon's voice finally showed emotion, but it was annoyance.

_Damnit! Why can't I control myself?_ Soifon thought bitterly. As much as she thought she wasn't in control on the medication, she was finding that she had absolutely none without them.

"I want to apologize for what happened the other night." Yoruichi began after collecting herself. "Kukaku got some drinks in me and they made me a lot more "frisky" than normal."

_So it was the alcohol?_ Soifon would have laughed at the irony if it wasn't so bitter. Seeing the expression on Soifon's face darken, Yoruichi quickly corrected herself.

"Not that I wouldn't want to do…that…with you when I'm sober! It's just…" Yoruichi finally found her footing.

"I'm not a drinker Soifon, you know that." She waited until Soifon nodded. "I've never actually been with anyone like that before. This is all new to me and, frankly, a little scary." Soifon's eyes went wide at the revelation.

_She can't possibly be a virgin_! Soifon's mind reeled. _Not when I…_

"I know, I know, "that's impossible" and all that." Yoruichi's mocking voice interrupted her thoughts. "I know that we haven't been together for all that long and that we don't exactly have the prettiest past. It's perfectly okay for you not to be ready to go that far yet." Yoruichi took a step closer to Soifon and took her hands in her own.

"Alcohol or none, there was no excuse for me acting like I did, and I'm sorry." Yoruichi looked into Soifon's eyes and found what looked like forgiveness, even though she hadn't said anything.

"Were okay, right?" Yoruichi asked. She hadn't expected the warmest welcome, but she hadn't anticipated the coldness she was getting either.

"Yes." Soifon responded robotically.

_Hug her, kiss her, ravage her, just do something!_ Soifon raged inside her skull and her body listened, though not like she intended. When Yoruichi leaned in to kiss her, she turned her head and started for the door.

"I have to get back to the training grounds." Soifon said flatly.

"Okay." Yoruichi voice was quiet and almost constrained sounding.

Once Soifon was a good distance away from her quarters, she hurled her fist into the wall, forming a spider web of cracks.

_What I'm I going to do?_ Soifon asked desperately to the one person that couldn't help her.

* * *

Two weeks past after Yoruichi's apology, but she hadn't returned since. Soifon's hectic mind finally consolidated itself on one subject; how much she didn't deserve Yoruichi. That was what she was thinking about as she carelessly prepared a meal. Her hunger had finally gotten unbearable so she decided to make something light to silence it.

Her mind focused on Yoruichi and not on the knife that was chopping carrots, her hand slipped and she sliced a long gash in her hand. It wasn't deep, but her body responded to it like it did every wound; by producing endorphins.

The natural painkillers now coursing through her bloodstream were the first pleasurably feeling she had felt in a long time. Eyeing her arm, she fell back into a very, very old habit.

Deciding that it was better to reopen old scars than to create new ones, Soifon lined up the blade and pressed it into her skin. It hurt, and blood seeped out of her and onto the floor, but the chemicals her body produced to ward off the pain felt good; real good.

_Yoruichi deserves more than me_, she though as she watched her skin peel apart in the knife's wake.

_I was a fool to think she could ever love me, that anyone ever could._ The blood on the handle made the knife difficult to hold.

_I should have died fighting Baraggan_. A pool of blood was forming at her feet. _At least then my death would have had meaning. Better that than to live the rest of my life unloved and to die unmourned._

She continued to carve up her arm until a moment of lucidity was produced by the pain of nicking bone.

_What have I done?_ She dropped the knife a quickly got some towels and covered the wound. Her heart pounding, Soifon ran to the Fourth Division's infirmary as quickly as she could, her shoes slick with crimson.

* * *

Unohana sat behind her desk, filling out patient charts and prescriptions. She blessed the fates that it had been a slow enough day that she had had the time to catch up on paperwork. She began to sign a form authorizing heart surgery when she was disturbed by a violent banging at her office door. She opened it to see a bloody and shaken Soifon.

"What happened?" Unohana asked with more than matronly concern. Soifon removed the soaked towels to reveal several deep gashes on her right arm. Unohana could tell quite easily that they were self inflicted.

"Come on," She placed her hand on the young woman's back reassuringly and led her to the Emergency room. "Let's get you stitched up." Anaesthetizing the arm, Unohana sutured the wounds closed and wrapped them in bandages. Healing kido was very taxing and therefore reserved for emergency and combat situations. Most injuries that occurred during peace time were treated by conventional means.

"Isane!" Unohana called out. Within seconds, the abnormally tall woman appeared.

"Yes Taicho?" She responded eagerly.

"Stay near Soifon-taicho and keep a close eye on her." Unohana cleaned her hands. "I have to speak with Yamamoto-sotaicho."


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

This chapter marks roughly the half-way point of this story and the end of the re-write of the first version. I would like to thank all of you who have stuck with me since the beginning of the first version. I hope I made it worth your time.

Since everything after this will be brand new, I cannot give you any kind of estimate as to when updates will occur. I will do my best to make sure they don't take too long, but I can't make any promises.

I didn't expect Chapter 8 to be so well received. If anything, I expected something of a backlash.

* * *

When Unohana returned from her meeting with Yamamoto, it was dark and Soifon was already sleeping in a hospital bed. Isane was sitting in a chair near the end of her bed, drifting off into sleep and waking herself back up.

"Go find someone who is on call tonight and go get some rest." Unohana placed a reassuring hand the tired woman's shoulder. "I'll wait here with Soifon-taicho in the mean time."

'Yes, Taicho." Isane answered sleepily. Unohana moved the chair to the side of the bed. Sitting down, she sighed deeply.

"What are we going to do with you?" She whispered. There was no reply.

Soifon awoke to the familiar sight of the ceiling of the Fourth Division infirmary. At first, she was confused, but the pain in her right arm quickly reminded her of her situation. She sat up and stretched, relived to find that her limbs weren't shackled to the bed like last time.

"You're awake?" The young man sitting in the chair at the side of her bed stood up. There were bags under his eyes. "Let me go get you some breakfast." Soifon almost protested, but she knew that she was in no position to make demands.

The boy returned a few minutes later with a tray of food. In one corner, there was a cup of pills; one yellow, one white, and one purple.

"What are these?" Soifon asked the boy. She knew that the yellow pill was an appetite stimulant, but the other two were new to her.

"That one is a painkiller." He pointed to the white pill. "And that one is an anti-depressant." He pointed to the purple.

"This isn't the same one as I was taking before." She swallowed the other two, but left the purple.

"These pills were given to me by Unohana-taicho." He shrugged. Convinced, she swallowed the medication and began to eat the food. "Unohana-taicho asks that you meet her in the counseling room once you've finished you meal." She nodded. To her annoyance, rather than leaving, he took a seat next to her.

* * *

Soifon was glad that there were no clocks in the counseling room. The room was so quite that the ticking would have drove her insane. The shuffling of Unohana's papers and the scratch of her pen were bad enough.

"Your blood work came back last night." Unohana broke the tense silence. "You stopped taking you medication some time ago. Why?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

'Because I was unable to…respond…to Yoruichi." Soifon was unable to look at Unohana. To her surprise, the motherly woman did not scold her. She simply sighed.

"I must confess that I feel partially responsible for all this." Unohana spoke with sincerity.

"How?" Soifon wasn't one to place undue blame.

"I wasn't exactly forthcoming with you treatment." Unohana put her clipboard down so that there were no barriers between them. "In my rush to get you treated, I neglect to inform you of everything I should have. In all honesty, I did not think a decrease in your sex drive would be an issue. If anything, I thought you would welcome it."

"If you would have asked me, I would have agreed." Soifon tried to reassure her. "I just hadn't anticipated getting involved with Yoruichi."

"Anyway," Unohana pick her board back up. "I've begun you on a new prescription. This one should not have any sexual side-effects." She scratched some words onto her paper pad. "However, the dosage is smaller, so you will have to take it three times a day instead of two." Soifon opened her mouth to speak, but the door to the room was thrown open.

"You can't go in there!" Isane could be heard shouting. In the doorway stood Sasakibe, Yamamoto's Lieutenant and aide.

"What is the meaning of all this?" Unohana slightly agitated.

"Yamamoto-sotaicho wishes to see Soifon-taicho immediately." She spoke in short, harsh syllables.

"I'm sorry, Sasakibe-fukutaicho," Unohana never lost her calm demeanor, "but we are in the middle of a therapy session."

"_I_ am sorry, Taoicho," his inflection made it impossible to tell if he was being sincere or sarcastic, "But this is not a request, this is an order."

* * *

Sasakibe led the two women to the entrance of Yamamoto's office. It was nestled in a corner of the large conference room that the Captains and Lieutenants meet in.

"Please wait here, Unohana-taicho." He opened the door to the office, but blocked her entrance. Reluctantly, Unohana complied as Soifon entered.

One always felt vulnerable when standing in front of Yamamoto. That Soifon actually was vulnerable this time didn't calm her nerves any. There were several moments of silence before the old man spoke.

"War," his gruff voice echoed in the large room, "is never an easy thing to experience, even for a career soldier." He stood up from his seat. "Everyone reacts to its horrors differently, some more viscerally than others."

"The Gotie 13 is still severely wounded, and we cannot afford weakness, especially on out upper echelons." He stood in front of her, but at a distance.

"In light of recent events, I see it fit to relive you of your Captaincy of the Second Division and the Onmitsukido." Soifon's eyes went wide as hear heart skipped several beats. Her breaths became short and haggard.

"I am sorry." The phrase sounded awkward coming from the man. "Your service to this organization was exemplary. However, it has become clear that it has taken more of a toll on you than either of us imagined." Soifon wanted to scream, to cry, to react, but she was still in shock. All that she felt was a dagger being plunged into her heart and twisted.

"You have the rest of today and tomorrow to gather your belongings and vacate you quarters." Yamamoto concluded very business-like. "You are dismissed." Swallowing back the tears that threatened to spill, Soifon left the Yamamoto's quarters as quickly as she could.

Despite having not heard what had just taken place, the look of contrition on Soifon's face gave her a good impression as to what happened. Shoving her way past Sasakibe she entered as soon as Soifon left.

"Sotaicho!" Unohana shouted at the elderly man just has reclaimed his seat.

"What is it, Retsu?" He asked.

"What did you say to her?" Unohana couldn't remember having ever raised her voice at anyone, let alone Yamamoto.

"I informed her that her service, while commendable, was no longer needed of her." He answered calmly. He would not have tolerated such impudence from any of the "younger" Captains, but Unohana was an old friend.

"She's in a very unstable place right now emotionally." Unohana pleaded. "As her Doctor, I feel as if I should have some say in this matter."

"Your duty is to provide medical assistance to members of the Gotie 13 and its affiliates." He met her gaze with equal ferocity. "Soifon no longer falls into either of those categories and is, therefore, no longer your patient." Unable to formulate a counter-argument, Unohana stormed out of the room in a fury.

* * *

Inside her quarters, Soifon sat behind her desk. On it sat stacks of forms that required signing and reviewing. In a rage, she shoved them all off the desk. They fluttered about the room before they settled on the ground. Her head impacted the wood table as tears of sadness, anger, and regret flowed freely.

* * *

Hanataro eyed the pristine floor of the ward he just cleaned with pride. Unlike the other members of his Division, he has become so used to remedial tasks that he came to enjoy them. Shouldering his mop and picking up the bucket full of cleaner, he began to make is way towards the next ward when the sound of a door being thrown open behind him caught his attention. The sight that greeted him chilled his bones.

It was Unohana, but she was very, very angry. He had seen her angry before, but her had never seen her express the emotion in her face and demeanor. His heart began to race as she made her way towards him.

"Hanataro." The normally soothing voice was short and harsh.

"Y…y…y…yes, Taicho." He dropped the bucket and mop and stood at attention.

"Go to Urahara Shoten in the World of the Living and bring me Yoruichi Shihoin as quickly as your legs will carry you." She didn't realize it, but her fists were clenched.

"Yes ma'am!" Hanataro took her words to heart and ran off as quickly as he could.

* * *

_I liked things better when we were criminals_, Yoruichi though as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight. _Everything was so much more quite_. Once her pupils readjust themselves, her gaze fell onto the young man from the Fourth Division that stood in front of her.

"Uhh…Yoruichi Shihoin?" He asked. He knew he was in the right place, but the disheveled appearance and skimpy attire of the woman in front of him was hardly befitting the head of one of the Four Noble Houses, even one in exile.

"Yeah?" She asked impatiently.

"Unohana-taicho requests your presence immediately." Hanataro did his best to sound commanding.

"What's happened?" The annoyance in Yoruichi's countenance instantly disappeared.

"I don't know, but it seems like an emergency." Just thinking about how Unohana looked gave him the chills.

"Emergency?" She asked. He nodded. "Wait right here." Within a minute, Yoruichi returned dressed in her usual black jump suit and orange jacket and her hair in a pony tail.

"Let's get going. If Unohana says it's an emergency, than it can't wait." Yoruichi flowed Hanataro to the Senkaimon he used.

* * *

Yoruichi entered the Fourth Division's infirmary to find the area shockingly calm. Very few hospital beds were occupied and the ones that were cradled patients in stable condition. Confused, Yoruichi began to wander the halls until she ran into Unohana. The expression on her face almost made Yoruichi's heart stop.

"Yoruichi-san." She walked up to her and placed a small, transparent, plastic bag with five purple pills in it in her hand. "Take these and find Soifon as soon as possible." She led Yoruichi to the door as she spoke.

"What's going on?" The worry that the calm infirmary had dispelled quickly returned.

"There is no time to explain." It was almost for Soifon's next dose and there was no telling what Soifon would do to herself or anyone else without her medication.

Thoroughly disturbed by Unohana, Yoruichi shunpoed to the Second Division Barracks and Soifon's quarters. She knocked, but there was no answer. Sliding the door opened, she was greeted by the sight of Soifon's usually immaculate room as a complete wreck. Papers were strewn about the place as well as articles of clothing and other personal objects. The whole place smelled of disinfectant.

Her heart rate picked up as she walked in slowly and quietly. She was about to call out for Soifon when the woman's head shot out from the doorway to her bedroom.

"Y..Yoruichi?" Her voice was hoarse and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. She was the last and first person Soifon wanted to see right now.

"Soi, what's going on?" Before she got an answer, she continued. "Unohana sent for me and gave me these pills to give to you." She held out the pills and Soifon slowly approached her and took them. Mechanically, she got herself a glass of water and swallowed the capsule.

"What happened to you arm?" Yoruichi hadn't been able to see it until she came out of the doorway.

"I…uh…" Soifon stammered.

_It's all over_, she lamented. _She's going to find out I'm crazy and leave me_.

"I cut myself." She finished sadly.

"Did you have some kind of accident?" Yoruichi knew that no one was immune to happenings of chance.

"No, I…did it on purpose." Soifon couldn't look at Yoruichi.

"Why would you do something like that?" Yoruichi was confused and a little scared.

"Because I stopped taking my anti-depressants." Soifon could feel tears threatening again.

"Why were you on anti-depressant Soi?" Yoruichi just wanted to know what was going on.

"Because I tried to kill myself!" Despite how constricted her throat was, the words came out clear.

"You…what?" Yoruichi was at a loss for words. A strange mixture of fear, anger, and sadness welled up inside her. "Soi…" Yoruichi finally settled on anger. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?" She felt betrayed.

"Because…" Soifon chocked back a sob. "Because I liked the way you treated me." Yoruichi's anger subsided. "When people know, they treat you differently. Most avoid you when possible. They're afraid they might say something to set you off. Worse still are the people that treat you with insincere kindness. They hope that being nice, no matter how they really feel, will somehow make everything better." Yoruichi stood in silence, listening. "Even the people that don't do that treat you differently. It's just little things. They might leave you the last bit of food even though they really wanted it or they might not assert their opinion if it's different." She looked Yoruichi in the eyes. "You treated me like I was normal."

"Soi…" Yoruichi didn't know what to say.

Soifon's legs gave out as she began to sob uncontrollably. Before she hit the ground, Yoruichi caught her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Soifon clung to her tightly as she led her over to the sofa. They sat there, Soifon emptying her emotions onto Yoruichi's shoulder. Once she was able, Soifon told her everything; about her past struggles with anorexia and self-affliction, her attempted suicide, why she stopped taking her medication, and the loss of her position. Yoruichi's only responses were soft words of reassurance.

Despite how strong she was acting outwardly, Yoruichi was genuinely scared. To find out that someone who you always considered a strong a collected person was actually very fragile and damaged was a shacking experience.

When Yoruichi had been reunited with Soifon after her exile, she still thought of her as someone she needed to look out for and protect. As time progressed and they worked together, that feeling slowly dissipated and she began to view Soifon as her equal. Now, holding the sobbing woman in her arms, that need to protect came rushing back. But how do you protect someone from themselves?

Once Soifon calmed down some, Yoruichi made them a light meal. They ate and Soifon took her medication in plain view of Yoruichi.

"I guess we'll start packing up tomorrow." Yoruichi looked around the room.

"I guess," Soifon said sadly. "I'm going to bed." It was already well past dark.

"Alright," Yoruichi smiled weakly. Before she walked off, she pulled Soifon close to her and gave her a gentle kiss. "We'll get through this, okay?" Yoruichi said soothingly as she stroked Soifon's hair. Unable to speak, Soifon simply nodded and went to her bed. Yoruichi settled on the sofa.

"_We'll"_, Soifon thought as she drifted off onto an exhausted sleep. _She said "we'll"…_

_

* * *

_

In the morning, the two women bathed and dressed without incident. Yoruichi recognized that this was no time for teasing. They ate a light breakfast and began to pack. They sifted through her closet, picking out several uniforms to take with them. Yoruichi stumbled upon the cheongsam that Soifon's had worn on their first official date.

"This really is an amazing dress." Yoruichi remarked idly.

"It was my grandmother's." Soifon said as she placed some items onto a duffle bag. "Fon heirlooms skip a generation…" Her voice trailed off. Yoruichi popped her head out of the closet at the sound of crying.

"Where am I going to go?" Soifon asked desperately as Yoruichi came over. "I can't go back home, not after…" She stilled remembered how proud her father looked when she became Captain.

"It alright," Yoruichi rubbed Soifon's back soothingly. "You can stay with me."

"I can't ask that of you!" Soifon squeaked.

"You didn't ask, I offered." Yoruichi smiled.

"Still, I don't want to be a burden to you." She was cut off as Yoruichi pulled her into a crushing embrace.

"You will never be a burden to me, Soi" Yoruichi whispered into her ear. Breaking the hug, they went back to packing. All told, the only had two duffle bags, on filled with clothes and the otter with personal items, and Soifon's camera bags.

Solemnly, they made their way to the door. They stopped when they noticed a note had peen slide under it. Yoruichi read it.

"Unohana wants to see us before we leave." Yoruichi informed.

* * *

The Fourth Division infirmary looked much like it did the day before. The woman in charge, however, did not. She had finally regained her calm outward composer, despite how she felt internally.

"Would you please wait here, Soifon-san?" Unohana motioned to a chair. "I need to speak to Yoruichi-san for a moment." Soifon obliged as Unohana led Yoruichi to her office.

"No doubt you have been informed of the situation that we are currently facing." Unohana said as she took her seat.

"Yes, I have." Yoruichi didn't know what else to say.

"I know it's a lot to ask of you, but it would be most beneficial to Soifon if she stayed with you." Unohana's gaze pierced Yoruichi.

"That's already been arranged." Yoruichi was rewarded with a gentle smile.

"That's good to hear." Unohana produced a pad of paper from her desk and began to write on it furiously. "Yamamoto may have given up on Soifon, but I have not. The help I can offer will be limited, but I will send one of my subordinates to Urahara Shoten with Soifon's medications." She tore off the paper and handed it to Yoruichi. "I will also send someone to tend to her arm." Yoruichi was amazed. Even though the paper had been written blisteringly fast, every letter was crisp and clear.

"What's this?" Yoruichi asked, pointing to the paper.

"Basic information you need to know." Unohana's voice became professional. "Things such as how to administer the medication and the like." Yoruichi nodded.

"This is not something to be taken on lightly." Unohana made eye contact with Yoruichi.

"I want to help her." Yoruichi answered without hesitation.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Unohana stood up and showed Yoruichi the door.

"I guess this is goodbye." Soifon said to the matronly woman.

"Yes." She agreed. "This whole situation is very unfortunate." Unohana concluded sadly. She explained to her the arrangements that would be made for her medication and waved them one final farewell after giving Soifon a bag filled with a bottle of appetite stimulants and anti-depressants.

* * *

Yoruichi and Soifon stood outside the Senkaimon to the Human Realm. Soifon turned around; taking one last look at the place she had called "home" for so long.

"Are you ready?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yeah, let's go." Weighted down by baggage and with Suzumebachi strapped almost defiantly to her back, Soifon stepped into the wasteland between worlds with Yoruichi close behind her.


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

Something seems "off" about this chapter to me. Maybe it's just strange going from such high drama to an almost filler like chapter. I'll let you people be the judge.

I haven't heard from "Fellow YoruSoi fan" since I've begun the re-write. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

* * *

"So he just gave her the boot?" Urahara asked after Yoruichi finished. "That's cold, even for Yamamoto."

"Yeah," Yoruichi responded emotionlessly. The last two days had passed like a whirl wind and it was finally catching up to her. They had arrived late to Urahara Shoten yesterday and had just gone straight to sleep; Soifon lodging the guest room that Renji had stayed in during his time in the Human Realm. Sighing, Yoruichi ran a hand through her messy hair as she read over the paper Unohana had written her for the hundredth time.

"You alright?" Urahara was concerned about her. She hadn't really shown any emotions since she had returned. She has sat and read that paper.

"I'm fine…" She began. "It's just that…" Yoruichi growled in frustration, "I don't know what to think anymore. I don't know what's the pills and what's Soi." She collapsed onto the table her arms had been resting on. "I always thought she was so collected. Sure she was a little stiff and moody at times, but I never thought she would, _could_, do anything like that." Just thinking about it made Yoruichi shiver.

"Are you sure," He hesitated, "you still want to be with her…after all this?"

"Yes!" Yoruichi sat upright. And that was the most confusing thing of all. When Soifon had first confessed everything, she had felt betrayed that she would hide something like that from her. That anger quickly dissipated once she explained herself. "If anything, I want to be closer to her now than before. I need to make sure she's okay." It was a genuine need. It didn't come from pity or obligation.

"Do you love her?" He asked seriously.

"I don't know. It's too soon to tell. We haven't been together _all _that long." Yoruichi slumped back down. She hated emotions. They were so confusing. "But I didn't think twice about any of this. That means something, right?" Urahara nodded in agreement.

"Well, she's welcome to stay here as long as she needs to." It was a pointless statement. He knew that his approval was unnecessary, even though he technically owned the place. He just wanted Yoruichi to know that she had his support.

"Thanks." She gave him a tired smile. Yoruichi quickly folded the paper up and put it in a pocket the sound of footsteps.

Soifon's morning had begun with a fair bit of moping. It was bad enough getting kicked out of the Gotie 13; she didn't need the salt of Urahara sheltering her rubbed in the wound. The only reason she suffered the indignity was it put her close to Yoruichi.

After she collected herself, she got herself situated in the gigai Urahara provided. It was a standard issue one, not an untraceable one like he and Yoruichi used. Gigais are malleable vessels that take the exact shape and form of the inhabiting spirit, so her right arm was still stitched and bandaged up and she still couldn't fell anything with her left.

Clothing had proven itself to be another ordeal. Yoruichi had given her some of her clothes to wear for the time being. Most of Soifon's morning had been spent in a fierce mental argument over the morality of wearing the woman's undergarments. She eventual decided against it, which made the slightly oversized t-shirt and jeans even more awkward and uncomfortable. Unbeknownst to her, Yoruichi, more often than not, also chose to forego underwear as well.

"Morning." Yoruichi greeted her with a small smile. "Sleep well?"

"No." It was obvious she hadn't. There were dark rings around Soifon's eyes and her posture was slumped.

"It's a new place. That's perfectly normal." Urahara spoke. "This area isn't nearly as quiet as the Seireitei at night. You'll get used to it after a while."

"Let me make you some breakfast." Yoruichi started to get up.

"I'm crazy, not paralyzed." Soifon had taken on a somewhat sardonic sense of humor about the whole situation. "Just tell me where the food is."

"There's cereal and bread in the cupboard." Urahara pointed into the kitchen behind him. "The milk and butter is in the fridge." Soifon made herself some toast, constantly pulling the loose jeans up to her hips as she did.

"Well, I guess that's the first order of business." Yoruichi said with some enthusiasm.

"What is?" Soifon asked after she swallowed her pills.

"If you're going to be staying here for a while, you're going to need some clothes that fit you right."

"Why can't I wear what I brought?" Soifon asked.

"Because you need to blend in. Not to mention you brought six of the same outfit." Yoruichi stretched her legs.

"_He_ doesn't seem to have a problem blending in while wearing the same thing." Soifon pointed accusingly at Urahara.

"This anachronistic shopkeeper happens to be a staple of the community." Urahara pointed at himself.

"No arguing." Yoruichi said to Soifon. "I'm going to go change, and then we're getting you some low-riders."

* * *

Yoruichi strolled through the aisles of Karakura's trendiest clothing store. That wasn't saying much considering the town's size, but the store did have a respectable selection of both eastern and western styles.

Soifon followed closely behind, watching as the cart Yoruichi was pushing quickly fill up. Yoruichi was indiscriminately pulling everything that was Soifon's size off the shelves and hangers. Once the cart was literally overflowing, she stopped in front of a series of stalls.

"Okay, that should be enough to start with." She went and grabbed an empty cart. "Go in there and start trying stuff on." She pointed at one of the stalls. "Put what you don't want in here." She pointed at the empty cart.

"Try things on? Here?" Soifon asked, horrified.

"Yes." Yoruichi answered, a little agitatedly. "The doors lock, don't worry." Soifon looked at the stalls skeptically. "I'm going to go see if there's some stuff I want in the mean time." Yoruichi left, leaving an overwhelmed Soifon behind.

Soifon picked the stall furthest away from everything and parked the carts outside it. She grabbed a handful of clothes and took them inside with her. Once inside, she looked around nervously before she stripped, covering herself at the slightest noise or the sound of someone's voice. The flimsy plywood door gave her little in the sense of privacy and the fact that her ankles were exposed didn't help either.

After taking an hour longer than she probably should have, Soifon finally exited the changing rooms. Yoruichi was sitting on a bench waiting for her.

"What'cha pick out?" Yoruichi asked anxiously and she rummaged through Soifon's "keep" cart. The anxiousness quickly turned to disappointment.

"No, no, no!" Yoruichi picked out a pair of baggy shorts and a loose shirt. "I'm drawing the line at tomboy. I'm not letting you go butch on me."

"What do you mean?" Soifon was confused. After all, Yoruichi had put everything in the cart herself.

"There's nothing but baggy jeans and sports bras in here!" She held up the offending items.

"They were the most comfortable." Soifon shrugged. Yoruichi sighed.

"It's not about comfort, it's about looking good." Yoruichi grabbed the kart that was filled with the clothes Soifon hadn't chosen; everything tight fitting or vaguely feminine. Winding her way through the aisles, she began to refill the cart. She kept Soifon's "style" in mind and chose articles that weren't overly flashy or revealing, but most everything she picked was tighter and more flattering. She did slip a few skirts and tops with rather revealing necklines in, though.

After they got the clothing taken care of, they went to the shoe department. Soifon picked out a pair of comfortable athletic shoes while Yoruichi loaded another cart up with as many different styles of shoes varying in practicality and comfort she could find.

"Don't worry. Everything will look good on you." Yoruichi reassured as they waited in line to check out. Once it was their turn, Yoruichi grabbed a pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt, some underwear, the tennis shoes and some socks and handed them to the cashier first.

"Here," she handed them to Soifon after they were scanned. "Go change while I finish up here." Soifon left as the cahier continued to can and bag the copious amount of clothes.

Soifon returned a little after Yoruichi had finished checking out. Her struggle with the bra's clasp had delayed her. Yoruichi eyed her approvingly.

The jeans fit her perfectly, almost like a second skin. The shirt was just the right size with no excess fabric hanging anywhere. Whenever she moved her waist, a small strip of skin was revealed. Freed from the wrap she used to wear around her chest, her breasts were full and perky, bouncing slightly with her steps.

"I told you." Yoruichi said as Soifon neared.

"What?" She asked.

"That you would look good." Soifon blushed as she felt Yoruichi's eyes wander her body.

"I…I don't like it." Soifon stammered. "Everything's too tight."

"You'll get used to it." They picked up their purchases. The clerk was impressed that they could carry all the bags by themselves. "Let's go get some lunch before we head back."

* * *

"Did we have to come to somewhere so crowded?" Soifon asked as she fidgeted in her seat. She was still not comfortable in her new clothes.

"Relax, it's crowded her for a reason." Yoruichi put down her menu. "This is the best pizzeria in town. "

"Pizzeria?" Soifon was unfamiliar with the term.

"That's right, you've never had pizza." There was so much Soifon had to experience. It was going to be interesting showing Soifon the novelties and curiosities of the world. "You're in for a treat." Yoruichi order them a cheese pizza and in was brought to them some twenty minutes later. Watching Yoruichi eat her slice first, Soifon raised the slice to her mouth as Yoruichi had.

"It's good." Soifon was surprised. She hadn't expected the large circle of cheese and grease to be editable. They finished their food and headed back to Urahara Shoten.

* * *

The next few weeks passed by slowly. Soifon and Yoruichi were gone most of the time purchasing the things that Soifon needed. When they were home, the clash of sensibilities drove Soifon, Tessai, and Urahara into childish arguments over little things such as the quality of food or the décor.

One evening, Soifon was sitting out on the porch watching cars and people pass, trying to gain some insight into the workings of this world, when Urahara approached her.

"Where's Yoruichi?" He asked the crossed-legged woman.

"Organizing my room." She responded without looking at him. "I thought I would be best to get out of her way since I had no idea what she was doing."

"Mind if I sit, I think we need to talk." Without waiting for an answer, he sat next to her.

"What is it?" She still didn't look at him. Urahara took a deep breath before he began.

"This probable doesn't come as too much of a surprise to you, but I've had feelings for Yoruichi for quite some time." Soifon finally turned her head.

"Your right, it doesn't." Soifon had always suspect4ed as much. It was half the reason she treated him the way she did. "You had one-hundred years with her, why didn't you act?"

"My ego, mostly." Soifon looked at him quizzically. "I wanted her to come to me, to want me like I wanted her." Urahara fanned himself sadly.

"And it's not like I actually had one-hundred years with her, either. She was gone most of the time and the few times she did return she only stayed long enough to get a few updates." Urahara looked down at the ground. "I guess that should have been a hint."

"But despite all the obvious signs that I missed, I always thought I would win in the end," Urahara crossed his arms, "if only by default."

"Default?" Soifon asked.

"We were real close growing up. It just seemed natural to me that we would end up together at the end of the day." He pointed to her with his fan. "But if you're any indication, I was never really in the running in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Soifon asked.

"Come on. What's the biggest, most obvious difference between us?" Urahara asked.

"Oh," Soifon nodded. She was a woman. "I understand." There was a brief moment of silence.

"But, you don't have to worry about me trying to sabotage you or anything." Urahara reassured. "Yoruichi's happiness is paramount and I am a gentle man."

"Surely you didn't come to here just to tell me that." Soifon asked skeptically.

"You right, I got side tracked." Urahara stood up and moved in front of Soifon. "I know you and I have never really gotten along, but we have more common ground than you think." Soifon cocked and eyebrow.

"You and I are both big parts of Yoruichi's life, whether you like it or not, and we owe it to here to at least keep things civil." Soifon nodded in agreement.

"That means no bad mouthing the shop, your room, the food," Urahara began counting on his fingers, listing the various offenses she had committed. "Don't yell at the kids, and it wouldn't kill you to say "Thank You" every once in a while. I'm housing the woman I love's clinically depressed girlfriend, I think I deserve some gratitude." He met Soifon's eyes.

"I suppose." She responded apathetically as she stood. Urahara offered his hand and she shook it. He smiled at her and began to walk away.

"Oh! And one more thing." He stopped and turned around. "If you _ever_ hurt her in any way, I will make you regret it." He said, deathly seriousness, echoing the words Soifon had said to him during the Bount investigation.

"If that ever happens," Soifon smirked slightly. "I'll deserve it."

"Glad were finally on the same page." Urahara said cheerily as he reentered the shop.

* * *

Urahara, Junta, Ururu, Yoruichi and Soifon all sat around the dinner table as Tessai brought out the evening's meal. Tessai handed every person their plate. Yoruichi watched Soifon anxiously.

"Thank you, Tessai." She said as she took the plate.

"You're welcome." Tessai said with genuine amazement. Yoruichi watched the whole scene, a smile slow creeping up her face.

_Maybe this won't be so bad after all…_


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

This chapter contains explicit sexual content.

* * *

Soifon paced the living area of Urahara Shoten, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Gah! I hate this!" She shouted to no one.

"Hate what?" Urahara answered out of nowhere. Soifon turned to face him.

"All this inactivity." A medic from the Fourth Division had shown up a week ago and removed the stitches from her arm. He had also divilvered a message from Unohana asking her how she was doing. She had responded that, other than having trouble sleeping, she was doing as fine as she could be.

The only problem now was boredom. With her arm healed, the only thing keeping her from doing anything was that there was nothing to do. In the beginning, Yoruichi had spent the past days introducing and explaining all the oddities of this world. That had served to both pass time and to help repair their strained relationship. Now, having mastered the television, radio, movies, and the internet, there was little left for her to learn and, consequently, little left to occupy time with. All the entertainment of this world was so passive.

"If you so antsy, you could always stretch your legs in the training ground." He suggested nonchalantly.

"What training ground?" Soifon eyed him suspiciously.

"Did I not tell you about that?" Urahara hit himself on the head playfully with his fan. "Silly me." He motioned for her to follow him.

In the main lobby of the shop, Urahara pushed back the central display to reveal a huge flight of stairs. He descended and Soifon followed. Her jaw dropped as took in the sight of the seemingly endless expanse of barren flats and rock formations.

"How could you forget to tell me about something like this?" Soifon snapped.

"You never asked." Urahara shrugged, smirking as he watched the petite fume. He could almost see the steam coming out of her ears. "There's a hot spring down yonder." He pointed off in the distance. "Other than that, you can do pretty much anything you want down here. This place is sturdy." Soifon began to descend the stairs.

"Ururu and Jinta are down here playing last I say, so be careful." Urahara shouted from the top of the stairs before returning to the shop.

Abandoning her gigai at the stairs, Soifon began to wander the grounds aimlessly. It felt good to be out of that cage of a body and even better to be back in her old uniform, even though it did come with a pang of sadness.

* * *

"This one's going far Ururu! Get ready to run!" Jinta shouldered his cudgel like a baseball bat as Ururu pulled back and launched a red rubber ball at him at high speed. Jinta swung the club as hard as he could and sent the ball flying off into the distance and straight for the wandering Soifon.

"Oh no!" Ururu gasped. "It's going to hit Grump-san!" Before the ball hit her, Soifon raised a hand and caught it effortlessly, despite the force it still carried. She shunpoed up the children.

"Be more careful next time." Soifon said emotionlessly as she handed them their ball back.

"Whoa, you fast." Jinta has startled a little by her sudden appearance in front of him. "Bet'cha can't do that again."

"Do what?" Soifon cocked an eyebrow.

"Catch the ball like that." Jinta bounced the ball on the ground.

"You think that was some sort of fluke?" Soifon asked angrily.

"If you think it wasn't, then you wouldn't be afraid to play a little game." Jinta smirked.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ururu whispered.

"Relax, there's no way anyone could do that twice." Jinta reassured. "Besides, it's not like she'll actually play with us."

"I have nothing better to do at the moment. Name you terms." Soifon crossed her arms.

"Uhh…" Jinta fumbled at the unexpected answer. "Right. Ururu's going to pitch me the ball. I'm going to hit it. You," he pointed at Soifon, "have to catch it before it hits the ground and throw it back to me. I'll hit it again and you have to catch it again. If I miss, you get a point. If you miss, I get a point. Got it?"

"Very well." Soifon sighed. "It's high time someone taught you some humility."

"First to five wins." He handed the ball to Ururu. "Start us off." Ururu pitched the ball, signaling the start of the game.

* * *

Yoruichi sighed contently as she lowered her body into the warm water of the bathtub. The heat felt good on her tense muscles.

The last month had not been the easiest for the inhabitants of Urahara Shoten. Soifon had been openly hostile towards everyone in the beginning, but she has toned the venom back a lot recently. While she was far from friendly with Urahara and Tessai, she no longer insulted them at every opportunity.

However, there was an underlying tension to Soifon's interactions with everyone. It was clear that she didn't want to be here, and that hurt Yoruichi since this was a second home to her. Whenever Soifon and Urahara were in the room together, Soifon would tense up, and their conversations were awkward at best. Yoruichi knew Soifon was holding back, and she was grateful for that, but the hostile undercurrent was almost as bad as open confrontation.

_Soi…_

The hand that had been resting on her knee fell beneath the water, trailing along her inner thigh. It came to rest at her center. Her hard nub of pleasure had already emerged from its hiding spot. Idly, she rubbed her thumb against it in a circular motion, exhaling deeply as she did so.

This was the "self-control" that she had bragged to Urahara about.

In the past, her fantasies had always been vague. They never centered on a particular person or scenario. Recently, however, since the night Kukaku had gotten her drunk, the object of her fantasies were clearly Soifon. And since that night, the times when Yoruichi found it necessary to pleasure herself had grown more frequent.

Almost mechanically, her other hand crawled its way to her breast and began to massage it gently, her fingers flicking the erect nipple.

Since Soifon had come to stay at Urahara Shoten, they had not been physically intimate. They always maintained a safe distance from each other. Yoruichi couldn't even remember the last time they had kissed. Yoruichi knew that this was partially her fault. Soifon wasn't an initiator, especially in a new place filled with people she disliked.

But, Yoruichi couldn't ever quite bring herself to start anything with her. She knew that she was still upset that Soifon had kept so many secrets from her. Yoruichi was just waiting for the time when she could look at Soifon and not feel like she had betrayed her trust. She was hoping that time was soon, because constantly being around her, while never being near her, was driving her body insane. And the disunion between what her heart and body felt was driving her mind insane.

Her fingers ghosted across her engorged outer lips before she plunged her index finger within. She breathed in heavily as her finger began to caress her inner walls. She shivered a little as she felt herself clamp down on the digit. Her thumb continued its circular pattern as her finger slowly glided in and out of her.

In her mind, it was Soifon's hands, not her own, that were bringing her pleasure. She was kneeling by the tub, her hands in the water, stroking and caressing her. Much to Yoruichi's humor, Soifon was always fully clothed in her fantasies. Despite the numerous time that Soifon had seen her naked, Yoruichi had never had the same privilege.

She wanted Soifon, badly. However, recent events, the results of their last brush with sex, and Yoruichi's own sexual inexperience made her afraid to approach the subject. She just resigned herself to let nature take its course and hoped that it wouldn't take too long in doing so.

Her ministrations ground to a halt as her body tensed and quivered. A small moan escaped her lips as her body climaxed. Relaxing in the warm water, she cleared her mind of the troubling thoughts of her relationship with Soifon and just enjoyed the feeling that washed over her.

* * *

Soifon leapt from the top of a craggy rock formation, catching the ball in her hands. Spinning around, she hurled the ball back at the red-headed boy. She was impressed by the boy's abilities. She was holding back quite a lot, there was no need to completely humiliate the child, but he was still able to hit most of the balls she threw at him.

"Come on is that all you got?" Jinta cried as he swung his club. Soifon caught the ball yet again and threw it back. This time, he wasn't so lucky. The ball struck the ground next to him.

"That's four-four." Jinta panted, leaning against the club. Soifon had let the boy catch up to her. A loss in spite of his greatest efforts would teach a better lesson than outright defeat. Ururu pitched the final ball as Yoruichi walked up.

"What's going on?" She asked the girl.

"Jinta and Grump-san are playing a game." Ururu answered.

"Grump-san?" Yoruichi laughed. Renji was Mooch-san and now Soifon was Grump-san. She didn't know which was better. She sat down next to Ururu and watched Soifon dart around.

"You're not ready for this one!" Jinta swung the club with all the force he could muster, but the ball past under it. "Oh no!" The ball bounced of a rock behind him. Soifon appeared in front of him and caught the ball.

"That makes five." She said with a small smirk.

"Yea Soi!" Soifon's head turned at the sound of Yoruichi clapping and cheering her name. Her face reddened as she realized Yoruichi had caught her playing with some kids. She quickly dropped the ball.

"Ooww." Jinta fumed. "I guess you win. Come one Ururu, we have chores to do." The two children left.

"Have fun playing your game?" Yoruichi asked playfully.

"It was an interesting diversion." Soifon hadn't even broken a sweat. "Where have you been?" She hadn't she Yoruichi all day.

"I was…taking a bath." Yoruichi answered defensively. "What bring you down here?" She quickly changed the subject.

"I was just looking for something to do. Maybe practice my shunko a little." Soifon looked around. "I've never had a place to practice without having to worry about collateral damage."

"Maybe tomorrow I can help you with that." Yoruichi offered. "It's almost time for dinners now, come on."

* * *

"Focus Soifon, your shot are going wild." Yoruichi spoke in a commanding voice, a voice Soifon hadn't heard in a very long time. Soifon sent another shot of energy out from her palm, but lightning-like bolt arced and struck another rock formation that wasn't her intended target.

"I think it's time for a break." It wasn't a suggestion. "You're getting frustrated. It's not good to train while you're angry."

"Of course I'm getting frustrated!" Soifon snapped. "We've been at this for months and I haven't gotten any better!"

"Yes you have." Yoruichi's voice lost its commanding tone.

"But I'm still not good enough!" Soifon fell to the floor, her back against a rock.

"Soi, I'm still mastering this technique." Yoruichi sat next to her. "It's not like you have some dead line. We can take all the time we need." Soifon slumped at the reminder. "Why is it that you took such a sudden interest in training, anyway?"

"Because…" Soifon searched for the right reason. Boredom was one, but that wasn't the real reason she was working so hard. "I need to be able to protect you, and I can't right now." Soifon cradled her head in her hands. "I've never been able to."

"Soi…" Yoruichi wrapped an arm around her waist. It was the first intimate contact they had had since Soifon had come to stay in the Shoten. "I don't need a protector, and I don't want someone to provide form me. I want a partner." Soifon looked up at her. "Someone to share with, not to take from." She pulled Soifon in for a gentle kiss that quickly became more heated. They broke the kiss, a little dazed. They both realized how much they had missed that.

"Come on." She pulled Soifon to her feet. "Let's go get some lunch. Maybe after that, we could watch a movie or do something else together that doesn't involve explosions and debris."


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

The next chapter ends the "filler," so to speak. I've just been filling time until the next major plot event for the last three chapters or so.

A big thanks goes to Alastor Vega of BleachAsylum for writing Orihime's story. I can't write her to save my life, and it's probably the best part of the chapter.

* * *

"Ichigo! Orihime! What brings you two back around to these parts?" Urahara greeted the two teenagers in front of the shop.

"With all the Shinigami running around here lately, we were afraid we were getting rusty." Ichigo answered for the both of them.

"So you're looking for some time in my training grounds." Urahara fanned himself.

"If that wouldn't be too much tro-" Orihime began with a bow, but was cut off by a loud noise behind them. A woman with short, black hair had just slammed a box down on to the ground and was now bent over, rummaging through it.

"Uh…I think you're being robbed." Ichigo pointed.

"That's just Yoruichi's squeeze, Soifon." Urahara turned around.

"Oh, okay." Ichigo opened his mouth to continue his conversation, but the words Urahara just spoke clicked in his mind.

"That's Soifon!" Ichigo recoiled. Urahara turned around again.

"Yep, that would be her." Urahara confirmed.

"As in Captain Soifon?" Ichigo trembled slightly.

"She looks so different without her braids." Orihime commented.

"I see you know her." Urahara laughed.

"She beat the hell out of me for no reason once!" Ichigo's body became sore just thinking about the incident.

"That does sound like something she would do." Urahara laughed.

"What's she doing here?" He looked around defensively for threats. It was never a good sign if a Captain was around.

"Soifon's fallen on some hard times so she staying with us for a while." Urahara understated.

"What hap-"The second thing Urahara said finally clicked in Ichigo's head. "Wait, you said she was Yoruichi's squeeze?"

"I did, didn't I?" Urahara continued to fan himself.

"You mean that Yoruichi's a…a…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Afraid so." Urahara answered half jokingly.

"And she and Soifon are…" Almost as if on cue, Yoruichi came out of one of the doors visible from the open entrance of the Shoten. Spotting the bent over Soifon, she walked up and grabbed her rear. Soifon shot bolt up-right and turned around, only to have Yoruichi steal a kiss. Upon seeing this, Ichigo covered his mouth and nose with a hand. He could feel a small trickle of blood coming out of one nostril.

"Yoruichi-sensei and Soifon-san are a couple? That's so romantic, just like something from a fairy tale. I can just see it; a Princess and her Knight, madly in love even though it is forbidden, for she is destined for the Queen ship and she is a lowly soldier. But they don't care; their love for one another transcends such trivial differences. But when the Princess's father, the King, found out about his daughter's forbidden romance, he locked the princess away in a tower away from her brave Knight. But the Knight was no coward and did not shy away from this challenge. In fact, the separation only made her love for the Princess stronger. And so our hero race down to the tower, where the evil King's force of a thousand guards waited. And what did stalwart hero do? 'Nobody will stop me from being with her!' She cried. She dove into the army, fighting like a berserker of legend. The battle was long and fierce, but she found strength in the thought of seeing the heavenly Princess's face again. In the end, our hero was bloody and bruised, but she was not deterred. 'Tis' but flesh wounds' she scoffed. The real pain was being separated from her Princess. She climbed the long, spiraling stairs, ignoring the pain that covered every inch of her body. When she reached the top, she cut down the door that laid it between her and the Princess. But, lo and behind, the evil King stood behind the door and between the lovers. His was body gigantic, his armor gleaming, and his sword sharp as razors. But the Knight's heart did not waiver. She was determine to be reunited with her one and only. The Knight and the King fought fiercely, but the wounds from her previous battle made the Knight no match for the evil King. The Princess watched in horror as her Knight was savagely beaten by her father. Their eyes locked, maybe for the last. But, before the final attack came for the warrior, something happen. The Princess leapt in between her father and her love and took the fatal blow. Enraged, the Knight struck out at the distraught King, wounding him gravely. Our hero cradled the near lifeless body of her savior in her arms. They proclaimed their eternal love for one another. Their lips connected in one last kiss. Or so they thought, for as they kissed, a bright light emitted from their bodies. The light was so strong that it blinded the wicked King. As quickly as the light came, it disappeared. The King watched in disbelief as the Princess and the Knight stood tall and proud before him, completely healed of their wounds. And so they charge as one, their love, hopes, and dream for one another channeled into their fists as they hurled the evil King from the top of the tower. The Knight lifted the Princess off her feet as they began the trek down the tower as the man who dared to deify their love tumbled from it. They say that nothing, human or beast, or the Gods themselves, can ever tear the lovers apart. Oooooohhh, that so romantic, isn't it Ichigo?" Orihime clasped her hands together, her eye's bright.

"Riiiight." Ichigo wiped the blood from his nose with his sleeve. "So, can you spar with us for a little while?" He picked up where their conversation had strayed.

"Unfortunately, I'm a little tied up at the moment." He folded his fan. "But I'm sure my lovely assistance would be willing to oblige." The three walked over Yoruichi and Soifon.

"Orihime! Ichigo! How have you been?" Yoruichi greeted them cheerfully.

"Kurosaki, Inoue." Soifon greeted coldly.

"We've been fine." Ichigo answered Yoruichi while watching Soifon nervously out of the corner of his eye.

"These two are looking for some sparring partners this afternoon." Urahara pointed. "Seeing is that I have my own work to get to, I was wondering if you two would care to help them out."

"That sounds like fun." Yoruichi answered. She looked at Soifon.

"I suppose." Soifon sighed.

* * *

The four stood around at the foot of the steps into the training area. Soifon and Yoruichi had already abandoned their gigais and Ichigo was out of his body.

"So what do you have planned?" Ichigo asked Yoruichi.

"At this point, there is nothing really left for me to teach you." Yoruichi looked at Soifon. "Would you mind sparring with Ichigo while I help Orihime?" Soifon nodded. Yoruichi and Orihime walked off, leaving Ichigo with Soifon.

"Wait! Don't I get a say in this?" Ichigo shouted.

"Quit complaining. You came to us." Soifon walked several paces from Ichigo before she turned and faced him. Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu's hilt tightly, preparing himself for the worst.

"Put that away." Soifon said as she laid Suzumebachi on the ground.

"Huh? Why?" Ichigo asked.

"You've already proven yourself to be a proficient swordsman, even if you style is barbaric." Soifon took up a defensive stance. "But how do you fair when you're unarmed?" Ichigo stabbed Zangetsu into the ground and raised his fists. "I'll allow you the luxury of the first attack." Against his better judgment, Ichigo ran at Soifon, his right fist cocked back, ready to attack. He swung at the woman, only to have the first stop mid-swing. Soifon blocked the punch with her palm and thrust her other into Ichigo's chest, sending him flying backwards.

"No fair!" Ichigo cried out from the crater he created by hitting a rock formation. "You said I could have the first hit!"

"You did have the first strike." Soifon taunted. "I blocked it." Ichigo growled and got to his feet. He shunpoed up to the woman and attempted to punch her in the stomach. To Soifon, his speed was almost comically slow. She easily landed a kick to the chest before the fist got anywhere near her.

"Alright, no more messing around." Ichigo said as he dragged himself to his feat, half to intimidate the petite woman, half to psyche himself up.

* * *

Yoruichi picked out another rock from the rubble and kicked it at the buxom red-head. Orihime sent Tsubaki after the projectile and he sliced it in half. The pieces fell harmlessly to the ground. Before the sprite had time to return, Yoruichi launched another rock at the girl. This one shattered in to dust against the triangular shield in front of her. The shield collapsed and Orihime fell to a knee.

"Are you alright?" Yoruichi asked. They hadn't been at it for very long, but the girl was already panting and sweating.

"Yes." She huffed. "It's just that I haven't done anything like this in a long time." She had been relegated to a field medic in the war, which was far less physically demanding than deflecting attacks.

"Let's take a break." Orihime gladly collapsed against a rock and Yoruichi took a seat herself. Their eyes were instinctively drawn to the other two occupants of the training grounds. They watched them spar in silence until Orihime finally caught enough breath to speak.

"What happened to Soifon-san, if you don't mind me asking?" She was still a little short of breath.

"What do you mean?" Yoruichi hadn't really been listening. She was too busy wondering if weather Ichigo was really that bad of a fist-fighter of if Soifon was that good. She hadn't seen him land a blow yet.

"Urahara-sensei said she had fallen on to hard times." Her breathing was even now.

"Oh," Yoruichi faltered as she tried to figure out how much was in her place to tell. "Yamamoto relived her of duty."

"You mean he let her go?" Orihime was stunned. From her understanding, Soifon was one of the more important and powerful captains. "Why?" Yoruichi had been afraid of that question.

"She…" Yoruichi paused. "Had some issues that made it necessary. That's all I'm going to say." Orihime wasn't a friend of Soifon's. She didn't need to know the details.

"Oh, I'm sorry I asked." Orihime's voice was full of contrition. It was obvious that Yoruichi was less than comfortable with the current subject.

"No, it's okay." Yoruichi got to her feet. "You feeling up to a little bit more?" She asked.

"Yes." Orihime got to her feet tiredly. She really was not cut out for this. She only came because of Ichigo.

* * *

Ichigo was on his last leg. It was hard enough keeping up with Soifon, but it was impossible to hit her. If he had his banki, things would be different, but he could not hold his own against her without Zangetsu.

"Your basic technique is no good." Soifon taunted as she continued to block and dodge the attacks. "You strikes don't have enough strength." This was a result of poor technique. "And you body movements are like a street fighters. It's too easy for me to trip you up."

The taunts made Ichigo even angrier and he sent a flurry of punches at the woman. He could feel each blow connect, but he didn't realize that Soifon was blocking them all with her palms.

"How's it feel, eh?" Suddenly, his hand stopped. Soifon was standing to his side, holding his wrist. She swept his feet out from under him and brought her elbow down on his back in a crushing blow that sent him into the ground. He began to writhe on the ground, clutching his back. "I think you broke my back!"

"You've still got a lot to learn." She said coldly, looking down at him in disgust.

"You too have fun?" Yoruichi and Orihime walked up to Soifon and Ichigo.

"No, no we didn't." Ichigo answered as Orihime helped him to his feet.

"It's not my fault you rely too heavily on you Zanpakuto." Soifon crossed her arms. Ichigo growled and lunged at her.

"Calm down you too." Yoruichi intervened. "You've had enough for one day. Why don't you go soak on the hot spring to heal yourself." Ichigo headed off for the magical healing waters. Much to his relief, Yoruichi didn't follow. Orihime went to wait in the shop.

"I don't understand it." Soifon mumbled as she picked up Suzumebachi.

"What don't you get?" Yoruichi asked.

"He has been a Shinigami for less than two years now, has had bankai for even less, yet he still was instrumental in Aizen's defeat." Soifon sighed. "I've trained as a solider for my entire life and I still couldn't even defeat Baraggan."

"Soi," Yoruichi walked up to her, placed a hand on each shoulder and looked her directly in the eye. "He could control the flow of time!" She drug out each syllable. "The only reason he's dead now is because of some crazy loop-hole that still doesn't make much sense!" Soifon's eyes were wide. "Okay?"

"But Ha-" Yoruichi cut her off.

"The only thing that could defeat him was himself!" She didn't break eye contact. "I don't want you to bring that fight up ever again. Okay?"

"If I had just been a little-" Soifon started.

"Okay?" Yoruichi asked again.

"Okay." Soifon acquiesced. Maybe Yoruichi was right. Maybe she wasn't. The fact that she had said it was okay for to lose that fight helped put Soifon at ease regardless.

* * *

Soifon sat in a recliner as a medic from the Fourth Division finished drawing a blood sample and began to fit a blood pressure band around her arm. Yoruichi sat on the other arm of the chair. Isane paced the room nervously as she flipped through a note book filled with notes from Unohana.

"Uh," Isane looked for anything she may have missed. "Unohana says that the insomnia you've reported is likely a side-effect of the new medication."

"If it's not one thing it's another." Soifon scoffed.

"She's prescribed some sleep aids." She produced a bottle of pills from a bag. "They are habit forming and can be lethal if used improperly, so Unohana asks that Yoruichi be in charge of them." Isane handed the bottle to Yoruichi. Yoruichi eyed them nervously. It had taken her a while for her to become comfortable with Soifon's other medications. She wasn't too thrilled about another.

"Only take them when you need them." Isane did her best to sound stern. The medic recorded the results of the test and removed the arm band. Isane continued to flip through the notes.

"Oh!" She stopped her pacing. "I almost forgot. Some members of the Women's Association are coming to the World of the Living next week to go to the beach since Kuchiki-taicho destroyed the pool we had installed on his grounds. Unohana has invited you two to join us if you would like." Yoruichi looked at Soifon, who only shrugged.

"Sure, that sounds like fun." Yoruichi smiled as she pictured Soifon in a bikini.


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

This chapter contains a very, very lose interpretation of episode 228. About the only real similarity is that the beach is involved. Sorry, no watermelon monsters.

* * *

Matsumoto breathed in the air of Karakura deeply as she stepped out of the Senkaimon.

"There's just something about this place that feels so alive." She smiled as she exhaled.

"Very funny." Nanao pushed past her.

"Calm down, what's the rush?" Matsumoto asked the bespectacled woman.

"Were supposed to be at the beach by noon and it's already eleven-thirty and we haven't even purchased out swimsuits yet." Nanao adjusted her glasses.

"You and you schedules." Matsumoto scolded. "I thought this was supposed to be a day of relaxation and fun in the sun."

"We won't have time to relax if we take-" Nanao was cut off by Yachiru bolting out of the Senkaimon at full speed screaming "Beach!" Every followed the Women's Association's president except Unohana.

"Uh…Taicho?" Isane looked to her Captain. "I think the beach is this way." She pointed in the direction the group of women were headed.

"I know." Unohana smiled, evaporating Isane's concerns. "I have business to attend to elsewhere first. I won't be long." Unohana new that Isane knew what she meant, but she couldn't state her intentions outright for liability reasons.

* * *

Tessai slide the shoji of Urahara Shoten's living area open at the sound of knocking. The sight on the other side of the threshold truly surprised him.

"Good afternoon, Unohana-taicho." Tessai greeted. It was not the person that surprised him so much as what she was wearing; a sundress and large floppy hat.

"Good afternoon, Tessai." She returned the greeting. "Are Yoruichi and Soifon still in or have they left for the beach already?"

"No they are still here." He stepped aside. "Please take a seat. I'll go get them." Unohana removed her hat and took a seat in an armchair that sat opposite of a sofa in the living area. Tessai returned shortly with the two women.

"Unohana?" Soifon was surprised. Tessai had just told her that they had guest.

"Can I get you anything? Tea, anything to eat…" Tessai asked.

"Tea would be lovely, thank you." Unohana answered. Yoruichi and Soifon took a seat on the sofa.

"Hello Soifon, Yoruichi" She greeted them warmly.

"Hello, Unohana." Soifon replied. Yoruichi nodded in acknowledgment. "Aren't you supposed to be heading for the beach now?"

"As are you." Tessai brought out a tray of tea and Unohana took a cup, thanking him. "I wished to meet with you before hand in an environment where we could speak…freely." She sipped her cup. "So, how have you been keeping?" It was a question from a concerned friend, not a physician.

"As fine as I can be, I suppose." Soifon answered. She recounted her activities over the last year and a half, from training to shopping. Unohana listened intently. Yoruichi remained silent for the most part, only chiming in when Soifon got something wrong or left something out.

Unohana observed the women as they spoke. They sat close to each other, their tights almost touching. The way they spoke to each other was very familiar, a far cry from the way Soifon used to act around the Shihoin. On the whole, the seemed very comfortable together. That was a very good sign.

"Am it to infer," Unohana began after Soifon finished, "that all the training you've undergone since you've been here means that you ultimately want to rejoin the Gotie 13?"

"Of course. It was my life." Soifon said without hesitation. Unohana noticed Yoruichi frown slightly. "I don't feel like I have a purpose without them, and I need to at least partially undo the shame I've brought my family."

"Well then I have some good news on that front." Unohana put down her tea. "Several of the captains have expressed their…displeasure over how Yamamoto-sotaicho handled you case."

"Really?" Soifon was shocked. She didn't think anyone would care that she was gone. If anything she expected celebrations. She wasn't unaware of her reputation.

"Shunsui and Ukitake have both told me they felt that Yamamoto's actions were far too harsh, given the circumstances. Toshiro and Byakua have also taken issue with your release, tough their grievances are far more pragmatic." Unohana noticed both women straiten slightly at the mentioning of Byakua Kuchki.

"What did they have to say?" Yoruichi asked.

"They both feel that it was unwise to decapitate the Seireitei's main law enforcement and intelligence gathering agencies so abruptly in a time when they are both needed so badly and that you have been suffering from you various afflictions for quite some time and they never appeared to hinder you ability to lead."

"That's nice to here, but how is this good news?" Soifon asked.

"That gives you five recommendations for captaincy, including myself." Unohana watched Soifon's face change as she began to understand.

"Were still one short, though." Soifon sank in her seat.

"It probably wouldn't take much to convince Kenpachi to recommend you. He always thought of you as a kindred spirit of sorts." Unohana suddenly became serous. "The problem isn't the six recommendations but securing the final three. As our ranks sit now, you have zero margin for error."

"You can't convince the others?" Soifon asked hopefully.

"It's unlike that I will be able to make Mayuri care enough to vote and it would be impossible to make Komamura go against anything Yamamoto says." Soifon's countenance became even more sullen. "The final vote would have to come from Yamamoto himself."

"So what do we do?" Soifon asked sadly.

"There isn't much we can do except wait." Unohana folded her hands on her lap. "Hopefully, whoever Yamamoto chooses to replace him will be willing to let you back in."

"So that's it, I just wait here?" Yoruichi's expression darkened at Soifon's words. She knew she didn't mean any insult to her. In fact, Soifon had told her many times that she was the only thing keeping her sane through all this. Still, it hurt to know that she wanted away from this place, and subsequently her, so badly.

"I'm afraid so." Unohana resumed drinking her tea. They sat in silence until Unohana spoke again. "Omeada sends his regards."

"Really?" That was surprising to Soifon. She expected him to host the celebrations of her removal.

"He said that spending some time in your shoes helped him appreciate and understand you better and that he prays for you speedy return." Unohana paraphrased. The words the large man spoke weren't nearly as eloquent. Soifon sat back in stunned silence as Unohana finished her tea.

"We should depart. Nanao was already complaining that we took too much time getting here, so we shouldn't keep her waiting much longer." Unohana thanked Tessai for the tea once again and the three women left for the beach.

* * *

The three women met up with the Women's Association at a small surf shop on the boardwalk by the shore. Yoruichi had been mentally preparing Soifon for the experience of the beach the whole walk.

"Be prepared to show some skin." Yoruichi told her many times over. "I'm not letting you walk around in a wet suit."

Yoruichi's words were accurate. Upon entering the shop, Soifon was horrified to find that the majority of the swimsuits appeared to be nothing more, and some times less, then underwear. Soifon browsed the aisles, becoming more and more uncomfortable with the situation. She eventually stumbled upon a selection of one-pieces. They were still a little too revealing for Soifon's tastes, but they would have to do.

"You ready?" Soifon turned her head at Yoruichi's words.

"I guess this will have to do." Soifon held up a yellow one-piece with a bow around the midriff.

"I already picked out a swimsuit for you." Yoruichi held up two brown paper bags. One presumably had her suit while the other contained Soifon's. Soifon looked at her questioningly. "I figured you wouldn't mind, since you let me pick out all the rest of your clothes." Soifon frowned. "Let" was not the correct word to use to describe how Yoruichi had selected her wardrobe.

Satisfied with their choices, the women headed for the changing booths on the shore. Yoruichi handed her one of the bags.

"Go in there and put on what's in this bag and _only_ what's in this bag." Soifon took the bag and nervously made her way to one of the booths. She didn't like having to change in public and the way Yoruichi emphasized "only" made her even more nervous.

Yoruichi finished changing and exited the stall, her clothes in the bag. She made her way to the stall Soifon was in.

"You okay in there?" Yoruichi asked through the curtain.

"I can't come out like this!" Soifon's voice was shrill.

"Why not?" Yoruichi whined.

"Because…because it's indecent!" Yoruichi snickered. She could almost see Soifon's blushing through the curtain.

"Relax, I'm wearing just as much as you are." Yoruichi tried to calm her.

"WHAT!" Thrown into a panic by Yoruichi's last statement, Soifon through the curtain to the side, giving both women ample view of each other, and both found in impossible not to stare.

Yoruichi had indeed been telling the truth. She was wearing just as much as Soifon. She was clad in an orange bikini overlaid with squares of various sizes and color. The century of inactivity had caused her body to lose its tone and definition, though she was far from out of shape. On her left thigh was a tribal tattoo of a sun. Soifon had seen it before, but only in glimpses as she turned her head to avoid seeing Yoruichi.

Yoruichi was also admiring the view. Soifon was wearing a blue bikini and only a blue bikini. It was the most of Soifon's skin she had ever seen and she was not at all displeased with what she saw. Her body looked just as fit as she would have assumed it did during her Captaincy. She was down in the training grounds at least four times a week. Her skin was pale, but its tone was surprisingly even. She noticed Soifon fidget under her gaze, obviously less than comfortable with her attire. Her modesty only served to make her sexier.

Yoruichi did a mental double take. She had never used that particular adjective to describe Soifon before.

Both women began to blush as time passed. Soifon because she was being stared at in such an exposed state, and Yoruichi because said staring had resulted in a tense, burning sensation in her lower abdomen.

"Come on," Yoruichi started to walk off, hoping that Soifon hadn't noticed the red tint on her cheeks. "If we take too long, people will get suspicious." She ended teasingly, causing Soifon to blush deeper.

Yoruichi picked out a spot on the beach and spread out a large towel. She stretched out on it, getting comfortable. Soifon stood there awkwardly, completely unsure of what to do.

"Sit down, relax." Yoruichi patted the space next to her. Soifon sat, but as far away from Yoruichi as possible while still remaining on the fabric. Soifon kept her eyes on anything other than Yoruichi. She watched the waves roll in. She watched Rukia and Yachiru play some type of game. She watched the clouds float by and she wondered how anyone could see anything but amorphous white puffs when they looked at them. After what seemed like an eternity, Yoruichi sat up.

"I'm going in the water for a bit, care to join me?" She asked.

"No thank you." Soifon answered. "I don't feel comfortable swimming in something like this." Yoruichi frowned, but got up and headed toward the water. She was incapable of moving her eyes away from Yoruichi's rear as she walked away, entranced by the sway of her hips.

Soifon continued to watch Yoruichi as she swam. As she did, various thoughts of a less than innocent nature began to creep into her head. She snapped her eyes shut, but that only gave her imagination a black slate to project itself onto.

_I shouldn't be thinking about her like "that,"_ Soifon argued with herself. _She still a virgin, it's not within my right._

"Heya Soifon-ta-" Matsumoto stopped herself before she finished the title. Soifon sighed in relief, thankful for a distraction.

"Hello, Matsumoto." Soifon greeted her.

"How have you been?" Matsumoto asked. Unohana had told all of them to be friendly with Soifon, but not in an overtly obvious way.

"Fine, I suppose." Soifon was confused by the interest Matsumoto was showing in her life.

"So what's the deal? Is this like a smorgasbord to you?" Matsumoto asked, sitting down.

"What do you mean?" Soifon cocked an eyebrow.

"You've got all these hot young women running around half-naked. Are you just keeping the drooling to a minimum or do you not waste your time with us straight girls?" Soifon chuckled. She had forgotten Matsumoto was aware of her persuasion.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm not some dog begging for scraps from where ever I can get them." Matsumoto looked as if she was about to retort, but instead she got up and greeted Orihime, whom she apparently invited.

Soifon's eyes fell back in front only to find Yoruichi running up to her. The water droplets made her skin glisten and the thin fabric of her top offered little in the way of support.

"Are you sure you don't want to swim for a bit, the waters perfect." Yoruichi let her hair loose so it could dry easier.

"Yes, I'm sure." There were many situations that Soifon thought that being male would be advantageous. Now was not one of them. Yoruichi sighed and fell down next to her on the towel. Soifon watched her chest rise and fall out of the corner of her eye as she caught her breath.

"Where are you going?" Yoruichi asked as Soifon got up.

"To the bathroom." Soifon walked away, letting Yoruichi stare unabashedly.

_Yep, it's defiantly the as_s, Yoruichi settled on her favorite part of Soifon as she watched her walk away.

Inside the bathroom, Soifon found a sink and splashed cold water on her face, the image of a wet Yoruichi running towards her still fresh in her mind.

"It's going to be a long day." She said to her reflection.

* * *

Soifon walked slowly to Yoruichi's room, forcing each foot in front of the other. It was hard enough getting sleep because of her anti-depressants, but her day at the beach with Yoruichi ensured that she would need medicinal aid. That last person she wanted to see right now, however, was Yoruichi, since, no matter what she would be wearing, all she would see her in is that orange bikini. Hesitantly, she knocked on the door.

"Hey Soi, what's up?" Yoruichi asked cheerfully.

"I need a sleeping pill." Soifon replied.

"Okay," Yoruichi didn't like her taking them, but she knew she needed them. "But I want a good night kiss first." Sighing, Soifon leaned forward and Kissed Yoruichi. She tried to break the kiss, but Yoruichi wouldn't let her. Today had been the breaking point for Yoruichi, and tonight would be "the" night. She wrapped her arms around Soifon and pulled their bodies together as tight as possible, plunging her tongue into her mouth.

Soifon was complete taken aback by the sudden attack, but her body quickly took over. She returned to kiss, resting her hands on Yoruichi's hips.

Taking Soifon's behavior as a signal to continue, Yoruichi pulled her from the hallway and into her room, sliding the door closed behind her and locking it.

Soifon's heart rate sky-rocketed as she was pushed onto Yoruichi's bed. It was a mattress, not a sleeping mat. Yoruichi's preferred them and had wasted no time in getting one. Her mind began a fierce battle with itself over whether to let this continue or to stop it before things went too far. Eventually, the latter side won.

Yoruichi let out a moan that made Soifon's hair stand on end as she flipped her on her back. Seizing the opportunity, she extricated herself from Yoruichi's grasp.

"I'm sorry," Soifon turned away from Yoruichi, her legs handing off the side of the bed. "I can't do this."

"What! Why?" Yoruichi asked desperately.

"It's just…I can't…this isn't right." Soifon started to get up to leave, but was stopped when Yoruichi wrapped her arms around her waist from behind and pulled her back down to the bed.

"Soi," she whispered breathlessly. "It's perfectly natural to be nervous you first time." She rested her head on Soifon's shoulder and kissed her neck. "I am."

"That's the problem." Soifon slumped. "It's not my first time."


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

Judging by the reaction to the last chapter, this one ought to make you people's brains boil in you skulls.

Koizumi is a direct reference to CrimsonGaze's "Ebony & Gold." Wrap that shit up, B!

This chapter contains explicit sexual content.

* * *

Yoruichi recoiled slightly. She stuttered for a few moments, unable to find words.

"Who?" Was the first word Yoruichi was able to form. It was a question asked in sincerer curiosity. It wasn't that Yoruichi thought people would be unwilling to sleep with Soifon, but that she was surprised that there was someone other than herself that Soifon saw it fit to become physically intimate with. In the years since they became romantically involved, Yoruichi had become used to the idea that Soifon only had eyes for her.

"Her name was Koizumi," Soifon began. "She joined the Second Division a year or two after you left. She took a liking to me right away. She was always around me, constantly trying to talk to me. I confronted her about it once. She told me that there wasn't many of "us" around and that we had to stick together." Soifon chuckled. "I thought she meant women."

"As time progressed, her talking turned to flirting. I was horrified that another woman was making advancements towards me, but at the same time, I loved the attention." She didn't have to say why. Yoruichi and Soifon had gone over how Soifon handled Yoruichi's departure many times before. Yoruichi no longer felt guilty about how Soifon acted and felt. Soifon had assured her that "if it hadn't been her, it would have been something else." It was still saddening to hear, though.

"I never returned or denied theses advancements. I think she thought I was playing hard to get." Soifon sighed. "Five years after you left, morale in the Omnitsukido and the Second was still very low. Some of the higher ranking officers got the idea in their head to throw a party. They literally dragged me out of my room and forced me to go. There was the usually music and booze there. I knew they were trying to help everyone get over you, but you were all I could think about. The hosts noticed that I was far more sullen than usual, so they forced me to drink. Not much, just enough to "loosen me up." Well, alcohol is a depressant, and all the meager amount that they forced down my throat did was make me the smallest amount of buzzed and make my bad mood worse." Soifon ran a hand through her hair.

"I left. I couldn't take it anymore. They had started saying horrible things about you and your practices, both official and personal, and as much as I claimed to hate you, I couldn't stand to hear them say such things. Koizumi spotted me leaving and offered to walk me home. I didn't decline the offer. The last thing I wanted right then was to be alone. When we got to my quarters, I told her that I didn't need an escort. She said she knew, but that she was worried about me all night and wanted to make sure that I got home okay. That was the last stray. That someone cared some much about me…" Soifon's voice trailed off.

"I threw myself at her, and she happily accepted. She tried to leave, but I didn't let her. We ended up having sex all that night. I remembered everything as clear as day in the morning. I hadn't had near enough to cloud my memory. It had been my own natural depression that drove me the night before. I woke up the next morning to find Koizumi in the kitchen, making me breakfast." Soifon breathed deeply.

"I hated myself; because I had given in to such a base urge, that I had done so with another woman, but mostly because I had enjoyed it. I took it out on her. I yelled and screamed at her, called her horrible, terrible names like "whore" and "rapist." I told her that it was because of the alcohol and she should be ashamed of herself for taking advantage of me. She knew I was lying, I could see it in her eyes, but she didn't say anything. She just got her things and left. The last time I spoke to her was shortly after I became Captain. She was requesting a transfer." Soifon rested her head in her hands.

"Soi…" Yoruichi whispered. Much to Soifon's surprise, Yoruichi began to stroke her hair soothingly. She was about to say something reassuring, but Soifon continued her story.

"Sex starts something that can't be stopped. Sometime after Koizumi, I solicited the aid of a male colleague. I figure that I had defiled myself once already, so what's one more time? I hoped that being with a man would end my urges for other women." Soifon laughed wryly. "It was an awful, disgusting, painful experience. And if that wasn't bad enough, it only my urges worse." Yoruichi didn't say anything; she just wrapped an arm around Soifon's waist comfortingly.

"I used to mock those who called it a "need." I thought they were just undisciplined or immoral people just trying to justify their perversions. But it is a need, and there are side effects if it goes unsatisfied. You know what it's like being the Captain of the Omnitsukido and the Second Division. The men build a cult personality around you." Yoruichi nodded.

"A few of the more…intuitive members of my Divisions were able to pick up on my…distress. The first time one offered them self to me, I treated it as a joke. When I realized she was serious, I did everything I could to dissuade her. I told her that I was just going to use her, that she would be sworn to secrecy and there would be dire consequences if she broke that silence." Soifon frowned.

"I guess if I really didn't want it, I could have just refused. But, just like with Koizumi, I couldn't deny someone that cared about me and found me desirable." Yoruichi cocked her head.

"I thought you didn't come to terms with your sexuality until after…" Yoruichi didn't need to finish the sentence, nor did she want to.

"I didn't. Afterwards, I was so disgusted with myself that when I returned to my quarters, I vomited." Soifon's mouth became dry just at the thought. "It wasn't a regular occurrence. It would take years, sometimes over a decade, for someone to muster up the courage to…approach me. Every time I would rationalize my acceptance in some different way. I would tell myself that she was a good soldier and deserved a reward, or that the stress and tension was impairing my ability to lead. The man I bedded left me feeling violated and unsatisfied. The women left me disgusted with myself, but slated." Soifon fell back on the bed. She started to ramble, but Yoruichi stopped her.

"Soi…" She whispered. "Stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong." She fell down next to her.

"But I…" Soifon began.

"You're an adult. You're allowed to have sex." Yoruichi stroked her hair.

"But I just used…" Soifon whimpered.

"Yeah, but they were aware of it." Yoruichi stated frankly. "You didn't trick them or lie to them. You didn't manipulate them or string them along by the nose. You didn't force yourself on them or abuse your power. They came to you. So you've had a few one-night stands. That's a lot better than some of the women out there who go around wringing people dry and dumping them penniless and heart-broken on the streets when they get bored with them." Soifon's eyes widened. This was not the reaction she had expected. "The only person you really wronged was Koizumi, but it sounds to me like you've been beating yourself up for that for quite a while."

She had expected Yoruichi to be angry, or disappointed. That fear had only intensified when she learned of Yoruichi's abstinence.

"Just let the past be the past." Yoruichi cooed. That was become a theme for their relationship. "And stop feeling guilty every time you enjoy yourself." Yoruichi slapped Soifon's arm lightly.

For Soifon, it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her chest.

"Sex can either be two people expressing their love for each other physically or the satisfaction of a physical need. Neither of those are bad or wrong and you shouldn't feel bad about yourself for getting laid once in a while." Yoruichi smiled and laughed as Soifon blushed. The morose mood had finally been lifted. They both laughed, releasing the tension of the moment.

"What about you?" Soifon turned to Yoruichi. "Why haven't you…?" Soifon was unable to finish.

"I want my sex to be more that just physical." She cuddled up next to Soifon. "I've been waiting for someone to come along and sweep me off my feet. You're the closes I've come so far." Yoruichi giggled as Soifon frowned, not getting the joke.

"Now, here's a question," Soifon sat up, and Yoruichi followed suit. "I care about you and have said on numerous occasions that I find you desirable," Yoruichi echoed Soifon's own words, "Why is it that you've done nothing but deny me?" Soifon looked away. "You said yourself that you enjoyed it."

"I just don't feel like it's within my right to…" Soifon was cut off by Yoruichi readjusting herself so that she was sitting on Soifon's lap, straddling her.

"Is it because I'm a virgin?" Yoruichi asked, looking her in the eye.

"Yes." Soifon tried to look down, but all she saw were Yoruichi's breasts.

"If it's _that_ big of an issue, I could go downtown and fix that right now, if that's what it takes." Yoruichi suggested, cocking an eyebrow.

"No!" Instinctively, Soifon wrapped an arm around her waist possessively. "I just don't think that I am…" Yoruichi stopped her.

"Soi! Get this through your thick skull!" She began to poke the top of Soifon's head. "I'm not upset that you've had sex. In fact, I'm kind of relieved." Soifon looked at her quizzically. "At least one of us will know what's going on." Before Soifon could protest anymore, Yoruichi silenced her mouth with a fierce kiss. Yoruichi tried to pull Soifon to the bed with her, but Soifon balked.

"I'm sorry…" Soifon apologized.

"What is in now?" Yoruichi asked irritable. "Got something against Tuesdays as well?"

"It's just that…" Soifon hesitated. "Reliving my past sexual conquests really didn't put me in the mood." Soifon looked at her. There was disappointment in her eyes, but she relented.

"Fine," Yoruichi sighed. She opened up her night stand and took out the bottle of sleeping pills. She gave one to Soifon. Soifon took it.

"Another night, I promise." Soifon kissed her one last time before she left. Yoruichi fell back to her bed with a sigh.

_This whole situation is upside down_, Yoruichi lamented. _I'm supposed to be the heart-breaker, not her._

Satisfied that Soifon would not be coming back, she reopened her night stand and produced a pink, conical device. She twisted its base and the piston in side it began to rotate rapidly, causing it to vibrate and hum.

Normally, its soft buzzing would have filled her with anticipation, but tonight, she only felt disappointment. The hormones clouding her mind were not thick enough to make her unable to see the humor in the situation, thought.

"Is everyone getting more than me?" Yoruichi asked to no one.

* * *

The tension between Yoruichi and Soifon in the following days was palpable. Every unintentional bump or contact was followed by profuse apology. They were constantly staring at each other, but not while the other was looking, and they hardly spoke. The sexual tension was very grating on Urahara.

As much as it would pain him to know that Yoruichi would be going to bed with someone else, in his own home no less, he just wanted them to get it over with before they both drove him insane. One evening he decided to get the ball rolling himself.

The three of them were sitting around the television. Urahara was in an armchair and Soifon and Yoruichi were on the sofa, though they sat on opposite ends lest they come in contact with each other.

"I think I'm going to turn in early." Urahara stretched for affect.

"Why?" Yoruichi asked.

"I've got big plans for tomorrow and I don't want to sleep the day away." He lied. He had absolute no plans for tomorrow. He left the two women alone as we walked to his room. Yoruichi listened for the sound of his door closing. Once she heard it, she began to inch her way towards Soifon.

Soifon knew what she was doing but didn't stop it. Yoruichi rested her head on Soifon's shoulder for a while before she leaned in began to kiss her. Soifon returned the kiss while repositioning herself. Their tongues roamed the familiar's lands of their mouths as their hands began to explore the unfamiliar lands of their bodies shyly. Sensing no hesitation in Soifon, Yoruichi stood up and pulled Soifon up with her by her wrists. She began to lead Soifon to her bedroom, walking backwards as to maintain eye contact.

"Wait!" Soifon stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Yoruichi asked, half concerned, half irritated.

"Are you sure?" Soifon asked. Yoruichi's answered as to roll her eyes and to kiss her fiercely. Her hand fell to Soifon's rear and squeezed it.

The kiss was the battering ram that destroyed the wall of self-denial and guilt that Soifon had built around herself. She returned the kiss hungrily, dominating it, while her hands began to roam Yoruichi's body greedily. Completely surprised by the sudden passion, she began to lead Soifon back to her room, but Soifon grabbed her by the haunches and carried her to her bed, setting her down lightly on the bed.

They sat there for a moment, Soifon resting in between Yoruichi's legs neatly. The nervousness in Yoruichi's eyes calmed Soifon a little and reminded her of the situation.

She was the first person to be allowed access to her Goddesses temple, and she need to treat the occasion with proper reverence.

She kissed Yoruichi softly as her hands worked their way up from her legs to her chest gently. She massaged a breast gently through the fabric of her shirt. Yoruichi moaned softly into Soifon's mouth. Dissatisfied with the feel of cotton, Soifon began to lift the shirt. Yoruichi un-did her ponytail and raised her arms to allow the garment to be removed.

Soifon chuckled when she realized that Yoruichi had chosen today, of all days, to wear a bra. Kissing her again, Yoruichi arched her back so Soifon could unfasten the undergarment. Tossing it aside carelessly, the first thing she noticed were not Yoruichi's exposed breasts, but the blush on Yoruichi's face.

Yoruichi was no stranger to nudity, but all the other times before this had been different. Most people had the decency to avert their gaze. Now, she was offering up her body for the closest scrutiny and comparison, and she felt insecure for the first time in her life.

Soifon admired Yoruichi's bosom unabashedly for the first time. Her breasts were nothing short of perfect. They were large and firm, held high on her chest. Her nipples were dark and, to her amusement, almost defiantly erect.

She took on breast in her hand and massaged it gently, rolling the nipple between her thumb and index finger. Yoruichi's breath became haggard as Soifon began to kiss her neck and collarbone. Eventually, her mouth found its way to Yoruichi's other breast. She bit down on the nipple gently and flicked her tongue against it rapidly.

Yoruichi cried out, arching her back and burying Soifon's head deep in her cleavage.

"Shhh" Soifon smiled as she kissed her, her voice husky as her hand continuing to fondle the breast. "We don't want anyone to hear us." Yoruichi nodded, biting her lip, her eyes never leaving Soifon.

Replacing the hand on her breast with her mouth, Soifon removed herself from between Yoruichi's legs and sat to her side. Her now free hand un-did the button of her jeans. She teased Yoruichi though the denim only briefly before pulling the pants down and throwing them on to the floor. She switched breasts as she rubbed Yoruichi through the thin fabric of her panties. The panties were moist and she could feel that her nub of pleasure and already emerged from its hood.

Yoruichi clamped her legs together instinctively and bit down on her knuckle to keep herself from crying out. She bucked her hips against Soifon's hand.

Tired of teasing, Soifon planed a trail of kiss down Yoruichi's stomach, stopping at her panties. She hooked her thumps around the waistband and pulled them down. Thin threads of arousal linked the fabric and Yoruichi's swelled lips. She was shaved bare. It took all of Soifon's self control not to plunge her tongue into those wet folds. She decided the let _that_ wait until a later date.

Soifon sat up, admiring the sight that lay before her. Yoruichi lay before her, completely bare in every sense of the word. Her skin was dark and even in tone. All of her was taught and firm, but at the same time soft. She covered her hands with her face, embarrassed by her state. She removed her hands at the sound or rustling fabric. No longer satisfied with feeling Yoruichi through her clothes, Soifon stripped bare herself.

That sat there, staring at each other as if in a trance. Soifon was beautifully. Her breasts were small, but perky. Her stomach and legs were strong, and she had a small tuft of finely groomed hair above her womanhood. She had very light tine lines form their day at the beach. Silently, Yoruichi spread her legs apart, yielding herself to Soifon completely.

Soifon intertwine their legs. She leaned forward, supporting herself on her arms. The tips of their breasts were barely touching. Looking deeply into Yoruichi's eyes, Soifon lowered herself onto her, there womanhoods touching. Yoruichi arched into Soifon, her mouth open in a silent cry. Slowly, gently, Soifon began to grind their lower lips together, the friction eased by Yoruichi's copious moisture.

Unable to contain herself, Yoruichi cried out, but was quickly silenced by Soifon's hungry lips. Wrapping her arms around Soifon, Yoruichi held to her tightly and Soifon gradually quickened her pace.

Soifon could feel the tension building rapidly within her, so she focused not on Yoruichi, but on keeping her breaths even. Yoruichi's had already become erratic and haggard. She buried her face in the crook of Soifon's neck and released her pent-up cries of ecstasy.

As Soifon's hips reached a fever pitch, Yoruichi felt it happened; her muscles seized up and began to convulse uncontrollably. She let out a long scream into Soifon's neck as wave after wave of intense pleasure washed over her. Sensing that she had achieved her goal, Soifon allowed her own body its release. Her fist bunched up the sheets below her as pleasure overtook her. Her arms unable to supports her any longer, she collapsed on top of Yoruichi.

They lay they for some time, catching their breath and composing themselves. Soifon watched as a satisfied smile crept across Yoruichi's face. Soifon kissed her one last time before removing herself from her. Yoruichi drew the sheets up around them. Unhappy with the loss of contact, Yoruichi moved closer to Soifon, wrapping a leg around Soifon's and an arm around her waist. Overcome with pleasant drowsiness, Yoruichi settled her head on Soifon's shoulder.

Soifon watched her fall asleep. She knew she should feel bad, terrible, about what had just happened. She just deflowered Yoruichi. She took her innocence. Yet as hard as she tried to conjure up some negative emotion, she couldn't. It just felt too right.

Kissing her in the top of her head, Soifon wrapped her left arm around Yoruichi, pulling her tight. She reached out and turned the small light on the nightstand that had illuminated the whole event off and drifted off into her own euphoric slumber.


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

This is more of a transitionary chapter, passing time to the next major plot event.

* * *

Soifon always woke up before Yoruichi, and despite indulging in an extra hour of sleep, today was no exception.

Soifon awoke with an unfamiliar weight on her left shoulder. She opened her eyes to find Yoruichi, sleeping soundly in the same position she had fallen asleep in, a small, content smile in her face.

Not wanting to wake her or extricate herself from Yoruichi's grasp, Soifon simply laid in bed and watched Yoruichi sleep. Watching her chest swell and fall in deep, even breaths and feeling her thumb make a small, slow circle just under her breast, Soifon had a chance to reflect upon just how peculiar her relationship with the caramel-skinned woman was to her.

Yoruichi was stronger than her. That was an undeniable fact. While Suzumebachi made Soifon deadlier, Yoruichi still possessed more raw power than her. That gap had shrunk over the years, to the point that the only people who were aware of it were Soifon and Yoruichi. To everyone else, they were equals in almost every measurable way. Yet Soifon was acutely aware of the fact that Yoruichi still was stronger than her.

Despite this, Soifon had held her through the night as is she needed protecting.

It was perplexing, but not so surprising. The more Soifon learned about Yoruichi, the more and less sense the woman made.

As a soldier, Yoruichi was a woman of iron resolve and ability. Her confidence was overpowering and she demanded and commanded the respect of all those around her.

Yet off the battle field, she was wholly a woman. She wore nice, feminine clothes. She put on make-up. She slept in a bed with a very soft mattress and puffy pillows and sheets. She had a large collection of shoes. She loved looking and acting sexy.

She loved being a girl.

Soifon supposed it was due to her pedigree. Yoruichi was a noble first and a soldier second. Indeed, she was the first woman to head the Second Division and the Omnistukido. She had been raised a Shihoin woman up until what would be the equivalent of her teens. To that point, her life had been filled with fine clothes, jewels, and all the other trappings of a noble woman's life. When her parents realized that they would be unable of produce a male heir, they began to tailor Yoruichi to fill the position her brother should have.

Much to her parents surprise and delight, she excelled in her military tutelage, becoming one of the most powerful Shinigami to ever be a part of the Gotie 13. However, she never lost her the feminine sensibilities that had been bread into her.

In stark contrast, Soifon never had those sensibilities to begin with.

The laws of probability made it unlikely for there to be only one daughter in a Fon generation, yet Shoalin had been her mother's only daughter. In the beginning, Soifon had been raised by her mother, as all girls in the Fon clan were. She was taught from an early age what was expected of her and what her duties around the household would be.

Her brothers were raised by her father to be soldiers. They began training as early as was physically possible, earning scars before most children have learned to read.

With no other playmate other than her brother, the teachings her mother instilled on her quickly fell by the way-side. Dolls were replaced with wooden swords. Ribbons and bows with scraps and busies, and grace and beauty with strength and cunning.

When Soifon's eldest brother entered the military, she wanted to as well. For her, there was no alternative. With no sisters, the military was the only carrier path she was aware of.

She expressed this desire to her mother during one evening with her while her other four brothers were training. She acquiesced easily. She would not be the first woman to go into service, and she truly had an aptitude for it. While her mother lost her only daughter that night, her father gained another son.

Unlike Yoruichi, Soifon was still very young when she decided to follow her brother's footsteps. Her culturing had only just begun. As a result, there was little lost when she abandoned her femininity in becoming a soldier.

Yoruichi often joked that she wasn't "girly enough" and that "if she wanted a man, she would be with one." The truth of the matter was that she was a girl in gender only. All the things that were the signatures of her gender she found extraneous and tiresome because she was taught that they were.

Soifon was shaken out of her thoughts when she felt Yoruichi's breaths become shallow and rapid, signaling a return to conciseness.

Yoruichi's eye's shot open, startled by the unfamiliar position she woke up in. Once her eye's readjusted to the light, she saw Soifon smiling at her and was reminded of the events of the night before. With a dreamy smile, she kissed Soifon.

"Morning." Yoruichi said groggily.

"Good morning." Soifon replied, stroking her hair. "Sleep well?" Yoruichi only giggled in response, snuggling closer to her. She lifted her head when she felt Soifon's arm move.

"Didn't I sleep on your arm the whole night?" Yoruichi asked sheepishly. Soifon nodded. 'I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Soifon said as she removed her arm from under her. "It's not my good arm." Soifon swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got up, combing through the clothing on the floor. She eventually found her clothes and began dressing, shimmying her way into her jeans. She turned around to see Yoruichi, staring at her as she dressed. She couldn't stop herself from blushing.

"Even after last night, you're still blushing when I look at you." Yoruichi laughed, not wishing it any other way.

"That was different." Soifon defended as she concealed her chest with her shirt, still blushing. Yoruichi fell back onto the bed. Soifon leaned over her and kissed her.

"I'm going to go get a shower and get some breakfast." She pulled the sheets up over Yoruichi's chest and kissed her again. Soifon left Yoruichi, who couldn't help but feel a swell of juvenile pride at having finally become experienced. And she liked it. A lot.

* * *

Soifon had first been dismayed to find out that Urahara woke up around the same time she did. This had lead to many awkwardly silent breakfasts together. Even though she had slept in, she still exited the shower and made her way to the table to find the man sitting there, sipping his tea. She took a seat opposite of him.

"Mornin'." He greeted cordially.

"Good morning." Soifon answered, far more friendly than normal. Soifon prepared her meal and began to eat it in silence. Eventually, Urahara spoke.

"Just between you and me," he began intrepidly, "does Yoruichi's carpet match her drapes?" Soifon was a bit taken back by the audacity of the question, but couldn't stop herself from answering.

"I don't know, she's shaven." Soifon smirked.

"Damn." Urahara snapped his fingers. "That's been bothering me for-ever."

"Shouldn't you know by now?" Soifon asked incredulously. "She's not exactly shy about her body."

"I will freely admit that I am a pervert," Urahara began, "but I always lost my nerve when it came to Yoruichi." Soifon nodded in acknowledgment.

It was a short, simple conversation, but it marked a shift in the relationship between the two. To Soifon, Urahara had always been a threat to her attempts to monopolize Yoruichi's affection. It was a childish perspective, but it persisted nonetheless. Now, with time's maturing effects and the feel of Yoruichi's skin under her hands, Soifon was able to accept that this man was an integral part of Yoruichi's life.

Perhaps it was difficult for her to understand because she had never afforded herself the luxury of friends. To Soifon, the interactions of a man and a woman had only one logical conclusion. Now, after having Yoruichi's head rest on her shoulder through the night, she no longer felt as if she had to compete with the man. They could both be part of Yoruichi's life. They would simply fill different roles.

Yoruichi came out of her room, a noticeable pep in her step. She planted a lingering kiss on Soifon's cheek before going off the kitchen. All during breakfast, she could barely contain the constant smile on her face as she constantly glanced in Soifon's direction.

Finished with his tea, Urahara got up. Standing behind Yoruichi, he tipped his hat to Soifon. It was a small gesture, but it represented something very important; Urahara acknowledged that Soifon had won.

Soifon couldn't help but feel guilty for thinking about Yoruichi in such terms, but she couldn't stop the swell of relief from rising in her. Perhaps she had misjudged Urahara all these years. They probably were never going to be friends, but they no longer had to be enemies.

* * *

Time passed slowly, the weeks turning into months that formed years. With the specter of sex removed, Soifon and Yoruichi entered a phase of casual intimacy. Soifon no longer shied away from Yoruichi's touches and caresses. She still was uncomfortable showing affection in public, but Yoruichi had long since accepted that that was just part of Soifon's personality.

What was dismaying to Yoruichi was the fact that almost three mounts had passed since they had first shared a bed and there were no signs from Soifon that such an event would be repeated.

It wasn't as if Yoruichi wasn't hinting at her desires. Whenever she would want to "retire," she would yawn and stretch in an overly dramatic and obviously fake manner. Then she would get up and sashay her way to her room, where she would lie awake for hours, hopping that Soifon would get the hint and come to her.

Eventually, Soifon's need for medication brought her to Yoruichi's room.

"I need a sleeping pill." Soifon said, sitting on the edge of Yoruichi's bed, acutely aware of what had happened there. Much to her surprise, rather than producing the bottle from the night stand, Yoruichi sat herself on her lap, wrapping her arms around Soifon's neck and arching her back so that her breasts were quite literally shoved in Soifon's face.

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a more…natural remedy?" Yoruichi asked as seductively as possible, hoping that it would mask the desperation in her voice.

"I…uh…" Soifon stammered inarticulately, her eyes darting from Yoruichi's bust to her eyes.

"Come on, Soi!" Yoruichi exclaimed, dropping the act. "It's been three months!" Suddenly, her demeanor became bashful and almost shy. "Was it not good for you?" She asked, blushing a little. "I know I wasn't much help but you have to give me a break…"

"That's not it." Soifon reassured as she pulled Yoruichi closer to her. "I've yet to find an adjective of the proper strength to describe how good that night was."

"Well then why haven't you touched me in three months?" Yoruichi demanded.

"I don't know…" Soifon turned her head away. "I just don't feel right asking "that" from you." Yoruichi's response was to pull Soifon's head into her chest, burying it between the large, soft mounds. Soifon struggled for a moment before she realized that she had no reason to.

"You're not asking for anything, I am!" Yoruichi released Soifon, who was reluctant to move. Soifon looked up to see Yoruichi's eyes filled with a desperate need. "Do I have to beg?" She asked. "If that's what your into, I guess-" Before she could finish, she was pushed back onto the bed with Soifon on top of her.

* * *

Much of Soifon's free time, which was nearly all of it, was spent training. Having finally reached the same level of Shunko proficiency as Yoruichi, Soifon began to train in her bankai. In a matter of roughly three years, she advanced from being able to fire Jakuho Raikoben once every three days to three times in one day.

She toned down her intensive training afterwards, choosing to spend more time with Yoruichi. By extension, she also ended up spending more time with Urahara. Much to Yoruichi's delight, they seemed to be getting along better than ever.

Indeed, Soifon and Urahara had found some form of comradery in an activity that brought them both mutual enjoyment; teasing Yoruichi.

Soifon's presence revealed a softer side of Yoruichi that Urahara had never seen before, and he was quick to capitalize on it.

One afternoon, after a training session in which Ichigo's mouth made Yoruichi put him in his place, Urahara spotted how skittish the normally fiery red-head was around the brown-skinned woman and decided to make his move.

"Don't be afraid of her Ichigo." Urahara caught Soifon's eye. "She may be acting like a cougar now, but underneath, she really is a kitten."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Yoruichi asked.

"I saw you two sitting together the other day." Urahara concealed his face with his fan. "You were curled up as a cat in her lap, just purring away."

"I was not!" Yoruichi growled, but her reddening cheeks told a different story.

"It's true." Soifon chimed in. "I wasn't even petting her. She was just laying there." Yoruichi's face turned beat red and she stormed off, leaving Soifon and Urahara to revel in their victory and Ichigo to wonder what type of petting Soifon was talking about.

Yoruichi returned the favor to Urahara in spades, though she was unaware of it.

One evening, the three of them were watching a movie together. Urahara was sitting in the armchair while Soifon and Yoruichi were on the couch. Yoruichi was curled up next to Soifon, her head resting on her shoulder. Urahara chuckled.

"What?" Yoruichi asked him.

"I'm just still having a hard time accepting that she's," he pointed to Soifon, "your first, well, everything."

"Really?" Yoruichi looked at him. "You know me. I'm not one to waste time. Why would I bother with someone I couldn't see myself spending the rest of my life with?"

Yoruichi couldn't see Urahara's eyes because of his hat, but Soifon could, and how deeply that last sentence cut was clearly written on them.

For the first time in her life, Soifon felt sorry for Urahara. At the same time, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. Her breath hitched as she wrapped an arm around Yoruichi's waist possessively.

* * *

Five years after Soifon came to live in Urahara Shoten and some seven years into her relationship with Yoruichi, a hell butterfly came in through the window and rested itself on Soifon's shoulder as she lounged with Yoruichi outside.

"What is it?" Yoruichi asked.

"It's a message form Ukitake." Soifon said, listening intently. "He wants to see me as soon as I'm able."


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'm only human. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Feedback is both welcome and wanted.

This is the final full chapter.

* * *

Soifon strode up to the west gate of the Serertei. She had left two days after she received the message from Ukitake. Yoruichi had spent the time trying to convince her to decline the offer to rejoin, if it were presented. It wasn't that she had some sort of grudge against them; it was that she liked having Soifon around.

Soifon had declined the offer to extend her stay. As much as she liked the amount of time she was able to spend with Yoruichi, she hated the idleness that had overtaken her life.

"Halt!" The bombing voice of Jidanbo stopped Soifon in her tracks. "Oh, it's you, Soifon-taicho." He added in a much softer tone, retaining her old title.

"Ukitake sent for me." Soifon replied, very business-like.

"Yes, he told me to be expecting you any day." He turned to the gate. "Allow me to open the gate for you." The massive, guerrilla-like man hefted the tremendous gate skyward. Standing behind it was Chojiro Sasakibe.

"Soifon," He greeted her with the slightest of bows. "Please follow me." Soifon raised an eyebrow quizzically, but obliged.

Sasakibe led her all the way back through the Sereirte to the Office of the Captain-Commander. Wordlessly, he opened the large doors of the conference room and led her back to the office annex. Sasakibe opened the door to the office and closed it behind her.

"Hello, Soifon-san." A kind voice that most certainly did not belong to Yamamoto greeted her. Sitting behind the desk of the Captain-Commander was Jushiro Ukitake. He rose to greet her.

"Hello." Soifon faltered for a moment, completely taken by surprise. "You're the new sotaicho?"

"Yes." Ukitake nodded. "Yamamoto-sama finally retired and went to go rebuild the Central 46. He decided to pick me for his replacement. But you didn't come here to hear about that," his face became serious. "Let's get down to business." Soifon's posture stiffened.

"The Second Division and Onmitsukido need you back. Omeada is completely overwhelmed and the Divisions are in shambles." Soifon frowned. She had expected as much.

"How bad is it?" Soifon asked.

"There hasn't been a proper intelligence report out of there since you left." Ukitake answered. "It's not entirely Omeada's fault. All things considered, he's done a remarkable job for someone who had so much responsibility trusted upon them with absolutely no warning." Indeed, Omeada had grown in leaps in bounds since Soifon's departure. Forced to work, he matured to level of a respected comrade rather than a bloated aristocrat that bought his position.

"So what do you propose?" Soifon asked, surprised by the kind words for Omeada.

"I've already called the Captains for a meeting." He shuffled some papers on his desk. "With any luck, we'll be able to re-confirm you with little incident. Of course, unless you do not wish it so."

"No," Soifon looked him in the eye. "I want nothing more than to return to the Gotie 13."

"Well, let's cross our fingers then." Ukitake poured them both some tea while they waited.

* * *

The eight remaining Captains of the Gotie 13 took their places in the conference room, leaving awkward gabs in between them. Ukitake took his place in front of them, if somewhat bashfully.

"Good afternoon, everyone." He greeted them softly. "I have some important business to discuss, and I would like for it to be cleared up as quickly as possible." He motioned with his hand, and Soifon came out from the shadows.

"As you are all aware, the Second and Omnitsukido are currently in dire straits." Soifon crossed her arms and eyed the captains. Unohana smiled warmly. Shunsui tipped his hat. She could hear Komamura growling lowly. The rest stood, looking on impassively. "Does anyone here object to Soifon's re-instatement?"

"I do not." Unohana relied.

"I have no objection." Byakuya answered coldly.

"Yamamoto-sama removed her for a reason. Why are you so quick to re-instate her?" Komamura growled.

"It's okay by me." Shunsui answered.

"Let's just get this over with so we can move on." Hitsugaya replied.

"Only if it means I get at least one fight with her." Kenpachi smiled viciously.

"Has one of your coughing fits wracked the part of your brain that allows you to list numbers sequentially?" All eyes fell on Mayuri. "Even if we all agreed, which we don't," he pointed his long fingernail at Komamura, "we don't have enough captains present to just vote it another."

"Your right." Ukitake crossed his arms and frowned.

"She could retake the taishu." Unohana suggested. Ukitake looked at Soifon.

"Would you mind?" Ukitake looked at Soifon.

"If I must." Soifon shrugged.

"Who would like to volunteer to verify?" Ukitake looked back at the Captains.

"I would like to be present." Unohana smiled.

"I've got better things to do than verify what we already know." Mayuri spoke.

"I could use some entertainment." Shunsui answered.

"I would like to expedite this process." Byakuya said flatly.

"Very well." Ukitake smiled. "Sasikibe!" The gray harried man appeared. "Prepare the testing grounds."

* * *

Ukitake, Unohana, Byakuya, and Shunsui at in the bleachers of the arena-like testing grounds. It was large enough to seat over two-thousands Shinigamia and the battles that ensued on the flat, dirt flow, as it was used for rank challenges as well as the taishu.

Soifon stepped out into the center of the arena. The test administer met her there and explained everything she already knew about the test. The four captains looked on.

"I'll ask you again, Unohana," Ukitake looked at her. "Are you certain this is wise?"

"If the reports I have been getting are correct, then yes it is." She answered confidently. "She has maintained her treatment regiment faithfully and has show no since of relapseing into her self-destructive behavior. Releasing her was dangerous, for her and for us. It is best that she return as quickly as possible."

"From my understanding," Byakuya interjected, "She has been suffering from her various "afflictions" for quite some time and they have never before impaired her ability to lead." Ukitake nodded, his apprehension soothed.

"Shhh." Shunsui quieted them. "The show's about to start."

* * *

Soifon felt sweat droplets roll down her forehead as she panted. Even with her training, using Jakuho Raikoben was still very taxing.

"That's enough, Soifon." Ukitake walked towards her carrying a white bundle while he cleared his ears of the sound of the massive explosion that had just occurred. "I believe that this belongs to you." Soifon took the white cloth.

It was her haori, the same one that she wore before she was removed.

"Thank you, Ukitake-sotaicho." Soifon bowed.

"How soon do you think you can resume your duties?" Ukitake asked hopefully.

"I have to gather my belongings at Urahara Shoten." Soifon answered, doing her best to hide the relief in her voice. "Two days."

"That's acceptable." Ukitake smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Welcome back."

"Are you _sure _you want to go back?" Yoruichi asked Soifon for the hundredth time as she backed everything that she wanted to take back.

"Yes, I am very sure." Soifon said as she repacked her camera bag.

"Is there nothing I can do to convince you to stay?" Yoruichi asked suggestively. She was already sprawled out over Soifon's bed.

"It's not like we'll never see each other again." Soifon reassured. "It will just be like it was before. I'm going to still take the second Wednesday of the month off. You can spend the whole day with me then."

"But those are _soooo_ far apart." Yoruichi whined.

"Well, it looks like you just going to have to learn so patience for once." Soifon joked.

"If that how you're going to be," Yoruichi reached up and pulled Soifon down on top of her. "Then I'm going to have to demand that you tide me over until then."

* * *

Soifon finished unpacking her things earlier than she had anticipated. She could resume full active duty any time she pleased, so she figured that now would be as good a time as any. Donning her haori, she stepped outside, only to run straight into Omeada, much like the time after her attempt on her life. Just as with that time, they were both at a loss for words.

Soifon eyed Omeada. Ukitake was right, he had changed. He had lost a noticeable amount of height and his face and posture had lost their usual arrogance. His features had been worn down by stress.

"Uhhh…Taicho…" Omeada began, but Soifon raised a hand and silenced him.

"No words are necessary." Soifon responded, softer in tone and volume than she had meant to. "Come, we have much work to do." Omeada fell behind the petite woman, relived beyond words that she was back.

* * *

Routines reformed quickly and time resumed it's usually flow. The flurry of activity that came with Soifon's return pushed the memory of her dismissal out of people's minds. Before Soifon had realized it, a year had past.

Yoruichi came to visit often, sometimes for lunch and a chat, and other times for dinner and the night.

One of her officers knelt before her, delivering a report. It was nothing that required her absolute attention, so she easily noticed the purple-haired woman appear, seemingly out of nowhere, behind the genuflecting girl.

"Very good," Soifon commented, only half-listening. "You are dismissed." The girl stood, bowed, and left.

"Hey." Yoruichi smiled. She knew better than to try a more intimate getting with Soifon while they were exposed to the public. "Who was that?" Yoruichi's asked coldly.

Ever since Soifon's revelation that she had bedded several of the women of her Divisions, she had come to eye all of them with contempt, jealousy, and disgust. Normally, she could hide it. Today, however, she was feeling irrationally possessive of Soifon.

"That was one of the officers." Soifon answered reassuringly. She could see what Yoruichi was thinking. It was written on her eyes. "What brings you her?"

"I got bored," Yoruichi answered, pushing the images that her imagination formed out of her head. "And hungry." She smiled sheepishly. Soifon looked at the sun, which had already begun to sink below the horizon.

"I don't think anyone will mind if I retire a few minutes early." Soifon said. The two women walked to Soifon's quarters.

There, Yoruichi lounged impatiently on the love seat as Soifon finished her paperwork for the evening. Once finished, she began to prepare a meal for them. Yoruichi devoured her food, amazed each time at how good a cook Soifon was.

"I…I…I have something I want to give you." Soifon stuttered nervously as she stood up from the table.

"You don't have to give my anything." Yoruichi smiled.

"Yes I do." Soifon walked over to her desk and pulled something out of a drawer. "If it wasn't for you …when they relived me…I would have…" Soifon looked at the ground.

"Soi," Yoruichi got up and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I want you to have theses." Soifon pushed something into Yoruichi's hand after she let her go. Yoruichi's eyes went wide when she opened her hand.

In Yoruichi's hand were two golden rings. The same rings that Soifon had worn in her hair when she had worn it in braids.

"Soi," Yoruichi muttered breathlessly. Taken by themselves, the rings were completely unremarkable. But to Yoruichi, they meant so much.

"They were my grandmother's." Soifon fidgeted shyly, waiting for a response.

"I love them." Yoruichi said as she slipped them onto her wrists. "I love you."

Soifon stood there, dumbfounded. The words she had been aching to hear from Yoruichi her whole life had just been spoken to her, yet she could not reply. Her mouth was unable to form words. Instead, she pulled Yoruichi close for a passionate kiss, unlike any other they had shared before. Still unable to find her voice, Soifon carried Yoruichi to bed.

Soifon made love to her meticulously, coaxing orgasm after orgasm out of her beautiful body until she could endure no more, saving only one for herself.

Afterwords, with their bodies tangled in each other, Soifon confessed her hearts deepest feelings to Yoruichi until she drifted off to sleep.

Holding her, Soifon couldn't help but reflect on how far they had come. Certainly there was still a much farther journey ahead, but Soifon couldn't help but fell that the most difficult part was behind them.


	17. Stinger

**DISCLAIMER**: The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I like to go out with a laugh.

* * *

Ichigo let loose another getsuga tensho. It traveled across the barren plain of Urahara's underground training facility, exploding a rock formation off in the distance.

"Your muscles are far too stiff for you to be able to control the blast effectively." Yoruichi chided "You have to relax." Yoruichi grinned as her eye's flashed mischievously. "When was the last time you got any?"

"Any what?" Ichigo asked, relaxing his stance.

"You know..sex?" Yoruichi asked, shrugging.

"What type of question is that to ask someone my age?" Ichigo shouted.

"Judging by that reaction, I take it that the answer is never?" Yoruichi eyed him curiously.

"Of course the answer is never! I'm still a minor!" Ichigo replied indignantly.

"Whew!" Yoruichi sighed. "That's a relief to hear. I was beginning to think I was the last person to…" Yoruichi turned and walked off before she finished her sentenced, leaving a very confused Ichigo to wonder what the hell just happened.

* * *

There you have it folks; the end of this fic. Tell me what you though. Please do not hold back. I'm more interested in criticism than praise. I can't improve if I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I would like to thank all of you who read and reviewed this and I hope to have your continued support. I honestly didn't expect this to be so popular.

While this is the end of this fic, it is not the end of this plot arc. The squeal, By Torpedo or Crohn's, is complete.


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